Dust in the Wind - A Sequel to Gone with the Wind
by VictoriaAGrey
Summary: This story picks up where Gone with the Wind leaves off. Follow Scarlett through her pursuit of happiness to mend the wounds of her failed marriage to Rhett and whether or not they get back together. Is the love they share strong enough to bring them back together or is it really over?
1. Chapter 1

"I will think about it tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day." Scarlett had told herself this multiple times every day for the past few weeks since Rhett had left her. Rhett. Just the thought of him was enough to send Scarlett into fit of anger or depression; depending on how much brandy she drank that day. Days started to blur into weeks after the separation and Scarlett was no longer able to tell what day it was. She had never felt such crushing defeat in her life. At least when she was starving in the months after the war ended, she always held hope that she could find a way to no longer feel hungry. There was no hope of getting Rhett back.

The only thing worse than the knowledge that she could no longer get Rhett back was the sight of her body. It was as if she was withering away before her very eyes. Her soft, supple curves were gone and were replaced by a lank body so repulsive to her that she started to avoid mirrors, going so far as to have the house servants remove the mirrors in the hallways and foyer. God forbid she see her body nevertheless her face. Scarlett's once full face was now gaunt and devoid of color. Her luminous green eyes were now glassy and lacking the fire that had burned there for years. Hollow was the only way she could describe herself.

"Miss Scarlett, it's your birthday. Didn't you remember?" asked mammy in response to Scarlett's angry tirade at seeing a large birthday cake with a "29" painted on the top in the dining room. Seeing the cake didn't remind her it was her birthday, in fact, she had been counting down the days till it came; not out of excitement but out of sheer terror of what the day represented. Not only did it symbolize her final year in her twenties, but it also meant that Rhett had left her over six months ago.

"I didn't ask for this! Get this out of my sight so help me God!" Scarlett screamed at the servants. They immediately responded by taking the cake out of the room and into the kitchen. No one dared to emerge again for fear of becoming the object of Scarlett's fury. Witnessing her slow decline into alcoholism and insanity was scary enough without her going on the warpath.

Mammy, never one to hold her tongue, was astonished at the audacity of Scarlett's ability to threaten the staff and anyone who came over to see her. Alcohol had eaten away at what good was left in her after the separation and left behind an angry shell of a person.

"You need to see what you have become! Rhett is gone and it's time to move on child," Mammy stated before exiting the room, leaving Scarlett dumbfounded. She knew she had become hell on wheels, but now Mammy was putting her in her place. Easy for her to say, thought Scarlett as she left the dining room and started up the stairs.

The house was uncomfortably quiet and this was also due to Scarlett's alcohol induced erratic behavior. In the midst of her brandy haze, she had become even more negligent than usual towards the needs of Ella and Wade. Mammy and the house servants did what they could, but it was not enough. Somehow, Rhett found out about this and had the children forcibly removed from the house and taken to a boarding school in Charleston so he could keep an eye on them. Not only did this infuriate Scarlett, but it made her miss him even more. Here he was, showing how much he cared for her children, but yet he left her behind with only a note.

_Dear Mrs. Butler,_

_I'm taking Ella and Wade to enroll them in a boarding school here in Charleston. They will be getting the best of care since you are not providing it yourself. I urge you from the bottom of my heart to get better. Expect a visit from me in the coming weeks. I promised you that I would keep up appearances and I intend to do so._

_Sincerely,_

_Rhett_

Having Rhett see her in the state she was in scared her more than the possibility of her seeing herself in a mirror. She had her servants go into town periodically to listen for murmurs of Rhett's coming visit and when he was coming to Atlanta, she ran away for an impromptu trip to New Orleans to avoid him. Rhett was furious when he found out what she did and left a threat behind with Mammy along the lines of cutting off Scarlett's access to his money and all payments to do with the property would be stopped unless she was there the next time he came to Atlanta. Scarlett was dreading this impending visit.

Fueled by the desire to avoid the significance of the day, Scarlett went back to her room and started in on a fresh bottle of brandy. As she got closer to the bottom of the bottle, she slowly started to forget it was her birthday and the pain of the last six months. The anger she felt towards herself for being so affected by a man leaving her started to lift and her heavy heart started to feel a little lighter. Just when Scarlett got to the point where she was swearing off ever seeing Rhett again, she passed out on her bedroom floor with the bottle of brandy still clutched in her small, porcelain colored hand and with the remaining brandy spilling on to the floor. It was because of this that she failed to notice that Rhett was attempting to break down the bedroom door.


	2. Chapter 2

Scarlett started to awake from her drunken stupor only to be welcomed by a throbbing headache and the odd sensation of swimming. Her feeble attempts to move or to even open her eyes failed and she was left in a state of being awake, yet still unconscious to the outside world. She was distinctly aware of screaming in the house that was completely one-sided. It was a man. Rhett. It was Rhett. Great balls of fire! Did Rhett see me like this? Scarlett thought to herself in mortification. This was enough to send a wave of nausea through her body causing her to lurch forward and on to her side. She didn't realize that she was on the edge of her bed and when she turned on her side, she fell off and onto the floor.

Her glassy green eyes finally opened with the shock of falling off the bed and she noticed a metal bucket next to her. Nausea overtook her and she threw up into the bucket. Here I am, throwing up into a bucket like a drunken fool and Rhett is here. I wanted him to see me looking my best for him but instead, he's seen me at my worst, Scarlett mused. Embarrassment overwhelmed her in that moment and she could feel the tears welling in her eyes. She could not believe how far she had fallen. Once, she was young and vivacious and now... now she was something loathsome.

She was yanked out of her self-destructive thoughts by the still continuing shouting. Whatever it was that was infuriating Rhett must bad. He never yelled at the servants unless it was something terrible or they didn't take a request from Bonnie seriously; like the time when Bonnie had been refused a piece of pie before supper sending her into one of the worst tantrums Scarlett had ever seen. It took an hour to calm her down and when it was over, Rhett unleashed hellfire on the maid who had refused Bonnie and fired her. Thoughts of Bonnie started to flood Scarlett's mind but she pushed them out immediately. That was the last thing she wanted to think about. All it would do is depress her further and she needed to find out what Rhett was yelling about. Crawling over to the door, she put her ear against it to better hear what was being yelled.

"How could you let her get so bad Mammy!? She weighs close to nothing. She doesn't even fit in her own clothes any more. Not to mention that she smells like a goddamn bar! Why would you let her continue to drink herself to death!? She will DIE if you allow her to continue with this!" and on and on went Rhett's barrage on Mammy's inability to keep Scarlett in check. Hearing his venomous words brought back glimpses into what happened when she passed out. She could remember the sound of her door breaking open, Rhett's panicked shouts for water, her frail body being swiftly picked up off the floor and gently laid in bed, and Rhett's cajoling for her to wake up while dabbing her face and chest with water. He still loves me, Scarlett thought with a pang of happiness she hadn't felt in months.

Crawling back into bed, Scarlett started to wonder if her chances of getting Rhett back were really as remote as she had thought them to be. He obviously still cared for her. But did that mean she could win him back? Get him to come home? Would he want to come back here, this place so filled with bad memories? Maybe we could build a new house to fill with good memories. I could finally try to be a good wife and mother, like my mother. Would Rhett want to have more children? If it would make him happy, I would gladly give him more children. It was in that moment when Scarlett realized exactly how much she would do to get Rhett back. She would do anything, anything to get him back. Scarlett finally allowed herself to acknowledge exactly how much she missed him. It was like being stabbed in the heart. Losing so much in the past year had taken its toll on Scarlett. First, she lost Bonnie, her favorite child. Coping with this loss was hard enough and then Melanie died. Dearest Melly. How I miss her, thought Scarlett. I never appreciated her while she was alive, going so far as to hate her at times, and here I am feeling her loss as I felt the loss of my child.

Since Melanie's passing, Ashley was as much a disaster as Scarlett was. Ashley hadn't resorted to becoming a raging alcoholic as Scarlett had, but he had become a recluse in the truest sense of the word. He ran the lumber business out of his house by having India go down to the store to get all the necessary paperwork. No one had seen Ashley in public since Melanie's funeral. Beau, Melanie's beloved son, was now enrolled in the same boarding school as Ella and Wade, also paid for by Rhett since he had far more expendable income than Ashley.

Thinking of Melanie's funeral always disturbed Scarlett to her core. India, still upset that Melanie's last words were to Scarlett, glared at her during the whole ceremony and made efforts to stay as far from her as possible. Beau was crying because she didn't understand why his mother was going into the ground in a box and never coming out. Ashley was sobbing the whole time and thinking out loud, asking God why he took her from him. Scarlett understood the way he was feeling better than anyone else there. He, like her, didn't appreciate and love Melanie the way she deserved while she was alive. It was only in death that they did so. The only sign of Rhett was a modest display of white roses above her headstone along with a note telling Melanie what a great person she was and how she would be missed.

Rhett was a good man and it depressed Scarlett that it took her 13 years to aclnowledge it. She curled up in her bed and started to weep when she heard footsteps coming down the hallway towards her room. Her door opened and there he was. The man she loved yet rejected for years standing before her. His face with etched with concern, and also fury.


	3. Chapter 3

Rhett looked completely different from the last time Scarlett had seen him. He had lost most of the weight he gained in the months after Bonnie's death and had regained his muscle tone that Scarlett had once thought to be borderline ungentlemanly. His splendidly tailored black suit showed off his tall, masculine stature that Scarlett had desired even when she was in denial of her love for him. His face was freshly shaven except for his pencil-thin mustache and his black hair, now sprinkled with spots of gray, was slicked back. One thing that didn't change about him was how his black eyes danced when he was angry.

"How are you feeling Scarlett?" Rhett asked as he approached Scarlett's bedside and sat on the edge. He lifted his hand to feel her forehead and caress her face. What is his game? Scarlett wondered. Rhett was never so kind, especially when he was so obviously mad. This treatment made Scarlett more nervous than if he was unleashing all his fury on her.

"Why are you here?" she slurred in response. There were so many things she wished to say, but that was all she could manage. He looked slightly surprised by her response, but he continued without a hitch.

"It has been six months since I've seen you Scarlett. I figured that I should at least be here for you birthday, otherwise appearances would be harder to keep," he replied simply to her. The proximity to him was intoxicating and Scarlett was desperately wishing she knew what to say. Shame started to flow through her for everything she had done to this man and her current state of being. Before she could articulate how she felt, Rhett spoke.

"Stand up for me my dear," Rhett commanded. He took Scarlett's hands in his and helped her to her feet. Still experiencing the effects of brandy, she was slightly wobbly on her feet, but she managed to stay in place. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he took a step toward her. She felt as if her nerves were on fire and she was shaking out of anticipation of what he would do. Examining the silky fabric of her robe between his fingers, he started to move his hands down her arms. For the first time in her life, Scarlett was speechless. What is he doing? He can't possibly be attracted to me right now, she thought.

His hands made their way down to her ever shrinking waist and he took the ties of it into his hands and untied them. Before Scarlett realized what was happening, Rhett opened up her robe, peeled it back over her shoulder, and let it cascade to the ground revealing her naked form. Here she had avoided seeing her body for months because she found it so disgusting, now she was standing totally naked in front of Rhett. After a few moments of looking down at the floor, she looked up at him.

Never had Scarlett seen what was currently playing across Rhett's face. He looked consumed by emotions of guilt, horror, and anger; pure, unadulterated anger. Taking a step away from her, Rhett ran his hands through his thick black hair in bewilderment. Look at my eyes, Scarlett was screaming at him in her head. She desperately wanted him to look her in the eyes rather than at her hideous body. As if on cue, he looked up at her and unleashed what had been eating at him since he arrived.

"What the hell have you done Scarlett!? Do you not eat? I can count ever goddamn rib on you!" he shouted at her. He immediately stopped himself and, as if he were reconciling something in his head, he took a deep breath and steadied himself. With his newfound composure, he steeled his face and walked toward Scarlett taking her into his arms and hitching her face up to his by holding her chin in place. It was as if he was trying to find the answers in her eyes, but there was nothing there. Her gorgeous green eyes held no light any more, nevertheless answers. With as much control as he could muster, he asked the question he was scared to hear the answer to.

"My pet, are you trying to kill yourself?" he said so quietly he wasn't sure if she heard him. Scarlett contemplated the question because frankly, she didn't know the answer. Did she really want to die, or did she just not realize how bad it was until now? She hadn't thought about it during the six months and she wasn't prepared to think about it now. Having her naked frame pressed into Rhett was too exhilarating to think about such sad matters. The feel of his warm hand across the small of her back was tantalizing and looking into his eyes while he gently held her face was heaven. It felt as if the past several months of agony were merely payment for this bliss, even though it was brought about by something not so pleasant. It was a sobering moment.

Scarlett didn't know that Rhett was thinking the same thing. It felt like he was finally in the right place at the right time. This is where he belonged; gazing into his wife's eyes and holding her against him. Feeling this scared him far more than he would ever admit to himself. Being with Scarlett was not something he could allow to ever happen again. He had already allowed her to chew him up and spit him out once before; allowing it to happen again would leave nothing left for him to salvage. With this realization, Rhett released Scarlett and picked up her robe, helping her back into it.

"I'm going to stay here with you in order to wean you off of the alcohol. You can't go through it on your own. If you will excuse me, I need to send word to Charleston about my extended stay," Rhett said as he left the room, leaving Scarlett wishing she was still in his arms but thrilled at the prospect of him staying with her for at least the next few days. Having Rhett back was the best birthday present she could have asked for.

Maybe she could win him back after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Rhett was back from the telegraph office within the hour and immediately took back control of the house. His first order of business was to have the kitchen servants go to town to buy enough groceries for a dinner that consisted of all of Scarlett's favorite foods; his attempt to get her to eat. The house servants were then ordered to place all of the mirrors back where they belonged, much to Scarlett's horror.

"Why must the mirrors go back up Rhett? I hate seeing myself everywhere I go," Scarlett told him. She was resisting the urge to complain further out of fear it would make him leave. Having him here, even though he was angry at her, was still an improvement over being here alone.

"Because your vanity must be restored. You're far more appealing when you're vain," Rhett replied sardonically. Even through the brandy, Scarlett knew that though this comment seemed crass, he was placing the mirrors back with good reason. This was his way to not only force her to accept what she now looked like, but to help build her up once she started to look better. It was only because of this that Scarlett bit her tongue.

"You need to go get ready Scarlett. We will be having dinner here, but we will be going out after," he informed her. The thought of going out was both exciting and nerve-racking. She hadn't left the house in months, nor had she worn proper clothes, but the thought of going out for a night on the town with Rhett was thrilling. Scarlett ordered a servant to fill her bath with cold water so she could wash off.

Climbing into the cold water was heaven. Bathing had never felt so good and for the first time in months, Scarlett felt clean and whole. Oils that were placed in the water gave her skin a beautiful floral scent. Her hair felt light and clean rather than stringy like it had been. New life was flowing through Scarlett's veins, energizing her and eliminating the effects of the alcohol. She felt normal; better than normal, she began to feel the fire that once burned uncontrollably in her heart. Even though it was just a spark, it was all Scarlett needed to start down the path of getting Rhett back.

Scarlett, slightly unwillingly, got out of the bath to dry herself. She ignored her thin frame as she dried herself and walked into her wardrobe. The large array of colors and fabrics that greeted her was stunning. Contemplating whether she had ever appreciated it or not, she started going through all of her dresses to choose the perfect one to entice Rhett. Knowing that she could not wear her corset, it no longer fit her, she had to choose a dress that would fit her well without it. It took her several minutes of searching, but she finally found the perfect dress. Rhett had given it to her towards the beginning of their marriage. The dress was a tight, emerald green gown with a train that flowed like water behind her. It had a low, revealing neckline which, once Scarlett put it on, flattered her chest and neckline. While she didn't completely fill out the dress, it still looked beautiful on her. She decided that a little rouge was necessary to give her color, but she decided to let her hair fall freely around her face. Taking one last looking into the mirror she once had hidden in the closet, she saw a semblance of what she had once looked like and she started to make her way down the stairs.

"Why Mrs. Butler, you clean up quite well if I may say so myself," Rhett said standing up from his chair in the dining room when Scarlett walked in. She smiled sweetly at Rhett, knowing that this was an actual compliment, not a mocking or snide remark. The dining room smelled marvelous. A whole array of mouthwatering food was splayed before her and she was shocked when she actually felt hungry.

"This is incredibly thoughtful of you. All this food looks delightful. My goodness Rhett! Is that what I think it is?" Scarlett asked pointing in the direction of a still simmering shrimp dish.

"Yes it is. I remembered how you loved it when we were in New Orleans for our honeymoon and attempted to give instructions to the cook on how to make it. Probably not as good as it is there, but you can't say I didn't try," remarked Rhett with humor. Scarlett could not believe what was laid before her. It was incredible. And she could not wait to start eating.

* * *

"Oh Rhett. This dinner was sensational," Scarlett said with enthusiasm. The food was divine, but she was ready to go out with him.

"Yes it was. If you're ready, we can go now," Rhett said as he held out his arm for her to take. She took his arm and he led her outside for the first time in months. The setting sun spread rays of orange and pink throughout the sky. It was a sight to behold and Rhett stopped to let her do so. Look what I have been missing, thought Scarlett. How could I allow something so stunning to go by everyday without taking it in? I can't allow myself to miss this anymore. Did the sun always look like this, or is it because Rhett is here? Scarlett did not care about the answer. She simply just wanted more of this; whatever this was.

Rhett helped her into the awaiting carriage and they took off in the direction of the sun. During the carriage ride, Scarlett would peek up at Rhett from the corner of her eye to look at him. He looked as if he was preparing himself for something, but what that was Scarlett did not know. She was desperately hoping he would say something, but their ride just continued in silence.

After what seemed like an unusually long ride, they were on the edge of the city facing the woods. Scarlett had never been here and found it curious that Rhett would bring her. What was his plan? Did he even have one? she wondered as he helped her out of the carriage. Taking her hand in his, Rhett started to walk in the direction of the woods. That was when the answer as to why they were here came to her. She immediately felt a sense of calm wash over her.

"Do you know why I brought you here?" Rhett asked turning to her once they were at the edge of the woods.

"Yes," Scarlett replied breathlessly. She was stunned. The smell of the Georgia Pine was glorious. Here she had chopped it up and sold it for years, but she had never appreciated it in its original form. Now Rhett was having her take it all in. This was exactly what she needed and she was so pleased to be having this moment with a part of the world she had never appreciated, but used frequently. The smell of the wood was invigorating, but something was wrong. A cold sweat was over coming her and she could feel a headache coming on. She started to feel herself losing focus of the woods and her consciousness turning inward. Disorientation was setting in.

Rhett looked down at her and knew what was happening. He took out his handkerchief and started to wipe the sweat off her face and chest. This is what he had been preparing himself to see, but nothing could prepare him for the sight of it. Why did she let it get this bad? he wondered sadly. He picked her up and carried her back to the carriage. It was going to be a long night.


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh god Rhett! Please, make it stop!" cried Scarlett. The pain that was coursing through her body was excruciating. Sweat was pouring out of every inch of her body and she was shaking uncontrollably. Alcohol may have done this to her, but right now it was all she wanted so she could make the pain go away.

Rhett was sitting beside her on the bed trying to keep her cool by dabbing her with cold water. He knew that her withdrawal would be bad, but he had no idea it would be like this. Many years ago, he had seen one of Belle's women go through withdrawal from alcohol and he was using that experience as his frame of reference. She was irritable and sick, but she was not in pain like Scarlett is. What was happening to Scarlett was tearing at Rhett inside. Guilt was overwhelming him despite his best efforts to keep it at bay. This is my fault, he thought to himself. She's here because of me. No. It's not my fault. It's hers. It's her fault for pushing me away for so long. Jesus, could my thoughts be any more scattered.

"Rhett... Rhett... I," Scarlett moaned before her body went limp.

"NO!" yelled Rhett leaping from his seated position to straddle her chest. My god, please don't let her be dead, please don't let her be dead, he kept repeating to himself. Placing his fingers to her carotid artery, he could feel a rapid pulse. Thank god, he thought to himself. She is still alive. She just passed out from the pain. Damn her for doing this to herself!

After he was sure she was still alive, he climbed off of her chest and made his was out of the room to what had been his room. This was a room he was sure he would never see again. The servants had obviously kept up maintenance on the room because it smelled clean, even though there was still a tinge of a cigar smell in the air. Smelling the still lingering cigar smell put a slight smile on his face, but it was not a smile of humor. I cannot even begin to imagine how many cigars I smoked in here, staying up all hours of the night just hoping that she would come in and allow me into her room, he thought. This room is a symbol of the misery I felt in this house. I need to get out of here.

Grabbing a couple of hangers from the closet, he started to make his way out of the room when he noticed something. Pillows that were on his bed were displaced from the way they were normally displayed. Did they change it since I've left? he wondered. Picking up a pillow and putting it up to his nose, the smell of brandy came to him. She must sleep in here, he thought. She sleeps in here to remember me. I can't deal with this right now.

Rhett walked back into Scarlett's room and put the hangers down on a table so he could continue to cool her off with water. She was still passed out, but at least she still had a pulse. He continued to water her down for about an hour when it started to settle in how tired he was. Getting out of the bed, he walked over to the hangers on the table and started to undress. Hanging each individual piece of his suit up, he took them into the closet to hang them up. Walking into the closet, he was taken aback by how many dresses Scarlett had. Every last one of these was an attempt to get her to love me, he thought. How pathetic.

Quickly hanging his suit in the closet, he made his way back into the bed he had once shared with Scarlett and got in under the blankets. Looking up at the ornate ceiling, he started to think about how he felt for Scarlett.

Here I am, laying in this massive bed, in this massive room, in this big stupid house which represents nothing but sadness to me and yet I still love her, he contemplated. I did everything for her. I built this house for her. I filled it with things she loves. All she had to do was ask for it and it was hers. I made all this money so I could take care of her and what did I get? I got an angry, spiteful, and vindictive wife who didn't love me till I left her.

No, that's wrong, he thought with shock as the realization hit him. She did love me! She's loved me for years. She just denied me for that goddamn Ashley! She kept holding on to that stupid dream of the South that she knew and that's all Ashley was to her. A dream. All he was was a dream. She took everything she felt about the South and attached it to HIM! If only she would have let that go and admitted she loved me. My God Scarlett! Do you see what you have done!? You could've had the world served to you on a silver platter, but you settled for a thought! A damn thought that has done nothing but cause you pain and misery! Look at the way I loved you when you wouldn't even admit you loved me. You can only begin to imagine how I would have loved you had you told me!

Thinking about this serves no purpose, Rhett told himself. I'm never going to be with her ever again. Sure, I'll continue to take care of her and the children, but I will always keep her at arm's length. I cannot allow myself to get taken in by her again. I just need to find a way to make this known to her; that caring for her is different from loving her. I just have to keep quiet that I still love her is all.

Even though Rhett was making a brave attempt at trying to convince himself of his words, he knew he was lying to himself. When he first left Scarlett, it was a relief. He felt like himself again. But then it started to settle in what he said to her and what he did and it made him miserable. The words he spoke to her when he left were all true, at the time. But not now, certainly not now. She was the love of his life and he knew it. Then he got word from Mammy about Scarlett's dependence on alcohol and how it was resulting in the negligence of the children. This distracted him from everything he had been thinking and he let his protective instincts take over. He loved Ella and Wade as if they were his own children and it angered him that they were being neglected. It was with the help of Mammy that he had them removed from here and brought to Charleston. The way they reacted when they saw him waiting for them at the school was thrilling. He made it known to them that he was as excited to see them as they were to see him. He visited them at least once a week.

Now that his children were taken care of, the matter of his wife being an alcoholic became his main concern. Mammy had sent word that when he came to Atlanta, he would have to do so as quietly as possible because Scarlett had servants around town listening for word. He read Mammy's telegraphs over and over again in disbelief. Scarlett's decline was swift and fast and he needed to get to her as fast as possible. To this day he still doesn't know how she found out about his arrival, but whoever did tell her told her in time because she was gone when he arrived; infuriating him more than he already was. He thanked Mammy for her help and left behind with her his threat of cutting off cash flow, which was a lie but thankfully Scarlett wasn't able to call his bluff.

And now he was here, lying beside his unconscious wife, keeping her cool by drenching her in cold water and wishing things had been different.

"Why couldn't you have admitted you loved me Mrs. Butler?" he asked before falling asleep beside her.


	6. Chapter 6

Where am I? Where am I running? Scarlett thought. This fog is so thick. I need to get through this, but I don't know how.

"Help! Someone help!" she screamed to no avail. I'm running, I think in circles. What am I even looking for!? Wait! What's that? she thought as she ran towards a figure in the fog. Then she saw what it was. Not what, who.

"Rhett! Rhett!" Scarlett yelled causing Rhett to turn around to look at her. The look he had was one of disgust; it caused Scarlett to stop in her tracks. They stared into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity, and then he turned his back on her and walked away. Tears started to roll down Scarlett's face as she allowed herself to be consumed by the fog.

* * *

"Scarlett! Scarlett, I need you to wake up," Rhett was calling to her. Her body was drenched in sweat and she was crying profusely in her sleep. Scarlett crying out his name woke him up from his sleep, which lasted longer than he had expected. It was now daylight.

"Oh Rhett. It was awful. I had the dream again," Scarlett told him once she was conscious. She turned to look at him and was taken aback by seeing his bare chest. Her focus took a turn from what she dreamed to what was laying beside her. Rhett's large, defined arm muscles were back to what they had used to be and his chest was just as appealing as it had been. Scarlett had always wondered why he had such large muscles and had only gotten the answer once they lived together. Instead of having servants do all of the yard work, he would go out and do it with them. She had never seen a man work alongside his servants before and she found it curious that one would do so. Many times she had asked why he did this and his reply was always "because my arms and legs aren't broken, my pet."

"That's why I woke you. How are you feeling?" he asked. He looked concerned, but something had changed about him. She felt as if a sort of wall had gone up between them. What could have changed? she wondered.

"Better. Just a little tired is all," she told him. Her eyes had not left his chest and she was becoming more and more desperate to touch it. All she wanted was to feel his hard chest and thick chest hair beneath her hand. Self-control failed her and she reached her hand out to try and touch him. He stopped her hand well before she was able to.

"I don't think so love," he said with a smirk. "Now turn over and close your eyes."

"Why?" she asked. Did he have some sort of surprise for her, she wondered.

"Because I'm not currently wearing the proper accoutrements that a gentleman wears to bed. You know how I used to hate sleeping in them," he remarked to her mockingly with something else in his voice that Scarlett didn't recognize. Is it anger, sadness, or something else, she thought.

"Don't be ridiculous Rhett! We're married. It's nothing I haven't seen before," Scarlett said to him knowing that her intentions were blatantly obvious, but not caring. This could be a chance for her to lure him back in and she wasn't going to give it up without at least making a pass at him.

"Valiant attempt Mrs. Butler, but no. I don't want to tempt you more than I already am," Rhett remarked with humor. He obviously was enjoying this and it was infuriating Scarlett. He's denying me because he finds my body disgusting, she thought. How dare he!

"You're only denying me because you find me repulsive! Don't lie to me!" she yelled at him feeling herself on the verge of tears. This rejection was almost as bad as him seeing her in the state she was in yesterday.

"Don't even go there! That's not true and you know it. I know what your plan is Scarlett. I can see right through you. You're hoping I'll get you pregnant because if that happened, you know full well I would stick around for that child to take care of it. We will never be together like that again, ever. I will not be trapped by you!" he emphatically told her. There was once a time when he would have given anything for her to throw herself at him like this, but not now. Truth be told, he was still attracted to her, even though she did not look her best right now, but he could not risk being with her. He even prepared himself for Scarlett to do this, but it was still hard to deny her. He just kept reminding himself that not only would it give her ammunition to try to get him back, but it could also crush his resolve to stay away from her. He could not risk falling back into love with her, more than he already was.

"Why would another baby make the situation any different? You already take care of my other children! And I don't want you taking care of them if it is out of charity either! If that's the case, I'll want them back from Charleston so I can put them into a boarding school of my own choice," she told him. Scarlett was furious with Rhett and she couldn't hold back any more. He was rejecting her and the possibility of a new baby. She wasn't just going to sit back and let him do this to her.

"Don't be stupid Scarlett! A baby would change everything! I would never allow my baby to be here while I'm in Charleston and the last thing I need is to be living with you again, no matter where it would be. And how dare you hold Ella and Wade against me! You know I love them as my own, even though I am not technically their father. I will never allow you to take them away from me either," Rhett yelled at her. He was beyond done with this argument. He needed to get out of this bed and away from her. Knowing that she would not comply with his request to close her eyes and turn away, he decided to just get out of bed anyway because she would definitely not be able to tempt him into sleeping with her now. Throwing aside the blankets so they covered Scarlett's face temporarily, he got out and started to make his way toward the closet. From behind him, he heard Scarlett getting the blankets off of her and her gasp when she saw him naked.

"Never again," he said teasingly as he turned around to face her. Rhett then turned around to continue his path to closet when he heard a glass whiz past his head and break on the wall in front of him. This caused him to laugh out loud for the first time in months.


	7. Chapter 7

"Is it safe for me to come out of the closet Mrs. Butler or will you attempt to maim me with another projectile?" Rhett joked, now fully clothed, from the closet.

"I don't care what you do," Scarlett replied as scathingly as possible.

"Stop scowling at me. You'll get wrinkles," he replied as he exited the closet. He was wearing an exquisitely tailored grey suit that flattered him in every way. Rhett's taste in clothes was unparalleled by anyone Scarlett had ever seen. Every few months, he would go to his tailor here in Atlanta and get a whole new wardrobe filled with the latest designs in men's fashion. Often times Scarlett wondered whether Rhett was more concerned about how he looked than she was concerned about her own appearance. She had asked him about this at one point and he told her that appearances were important because a first impression can't be taken back; he then insisted she update her wardrobe as often as he did. This led to no qualms from her since she loved new clothes and his insistence on it gave her carte blanch do as she wished.

"I will be leaving later today. Why don't you get ready while I go make some last minute arrangements?" he said to Scarlett. This was distressing news to Scarlett since she thought he would at least be staying with her for the next few days. She was looking forward to spending some time with him now that the worst of her withdrawals were gone and instead, she was going to have to cope with her new sobriety on her own. Why is he cutting his stay so short even though he had already messaged home about his extended stay, she wondered.

Rhett walked out of the room leaving Scarlett alone. I'm going to make the most out of these last few hours, she told herself and she proceeded to get ready. Choosing a cream dress with some floral patterns on it gave her the boost of confidence she needed. Prissy then came into the room and styled her hair in an up-do with ringlets. After applying some rouge to her cheeks, her skin was still lacking in color, she left the room and made her way to the staircase.

"You're looking more and more like your old self as the hours go by, my pet," Rhett said. He was standing at the bottom of the staircase waiting for her. She walked down to him and extended her hand for him to take, which he graciously did. Leading her into the dining room, she saw another feast laying before her, except this time it was of breakfast foods. A smile crept onto her face as she sat down to eat.

* * *

"There is something we must discuss before I make my departure," Rhett said interrupting Scarlett, who was currently eating the last piece of bacon on the table. It all tasted so good that she was able to ignore her tired feeling. Hopefully this sense of being tired won't last long, she thought to herself.

"And what would that be?" Scarlett replied.

"The matter of my location in the coming months. You see, when I leave here, I will be heading back to Charleston, but not for long. I plan on traveling around for some new businesses that I am interested in investing in. We will still need to keep in touch periodically so instead of sending messages to me, send them to Mr. Matheson. He will always know where I am at, seeing as he is my lawyer and all. I will also be sending you my correspondences through him as well," he informed her. She was already acquainted with Mr. Matheson since he was the one who Scarlett went through to get access to Rhett's funds. This arrangement still seemed odd to her though. Why can't he just send me messages of where he will be as well as his lawyer? Does this mean he will no longer visit with me to keep up appearances?

"Does this mean that I should no longer expect you for visits?" she asked trying to keep the concern out of her voice. If Rhett would no longer visit, it would mean that they had a divorce, just without the paperwork. Everyone would figure it out, if they hadn't already, that they were no longer together. Their titles of husband and wife were now just formalities. The thought twisted at Scarlett's heart like a knife.

"A promise is a promise Scarlett and I still intend to keep it. I have already started to circulate a story around town that I am needed in New York to deal with matters concerning a bank I chair for. Once my absence starts to be questioned, I will simply come back and stay with you for awhile before I circulate another story and leave again. That will be how our visits are conducted from now on. I'm sure there will be times though when I am near Atlanta and I will stop in then as well. They will be just short visits though," Rhett explained to her. At least he will visit, Scarlett thought with relief. I will just have to start winning him back during his visits is all. That's when Scarlett started to think of how pathetic she sounded to herself. Here she would be, living day by day, just in the hopes that he would soon schedule a visit to see her. Is this the way I want to spend my days? she pondered. I've never waited around for a man and it feels so strange that I would have to do so. But he waited for me for years. Shouldn't I at least return the favor? I must! I must do so to prove to him how much I love him. That's the only way I'll win him back.

"Okay. How should I explain why you have left me behind instead of taking me with you?" she asked with a noticeable lump in her throat which she was sure Rhett heard because he immediately softened his exterior.

"You're staying behind for your lumber business. Most know of how much you care for it," he replied. Immediately, he had to resist the urge to comfort and kiss her. Looking into her eyes, he knew how much this conversation was hurting her, but he had to go. He could already feel himself being drawn back to her and distance was the only thing that could keep him away. He had to leave. Now.

"I'm sorry to cut our day short, but I must leave now. My train to Charleston is leaving soon," Rhett said as he stood up from the table. His story about the train was a lie; it wasn't leaving for another three hours. A lie in order to save my life, he absently thought to himself. I need to get away from her.

"I will walk you out," Scarlett said as she too rose from the table. She looked as if she were in distress, but Rhett said nothing about it.

They walked out of the front door together and to the awaiting carriage. The servants had already brought out and loaded his baggage into the carriage so he could depart quickly, as per his orders. Rhett was about to climb into it when Scarlett spoke.

"Rhett... I... I just wanted to say thank you," she said timidly. It had been so long since she had spoken those words to anyone. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she said it or even felt it. She felt that anything that was given to her was rightfully hers; like she had earned it. Standing here now, she knew that the treatment Rhett had shown her in the last day was not earned. She didn't deserve it. Now, more than ever, she knew those were the words he needed to hear and she needed say.

Rhett froze in place. It felt as if his heart had stopped. He could not believe what he had heard just come out of her mouth. Never had she said those words to him. Never. It didn't even compute to him for a second that she had said it. He quickly regained a portion of his outward composure, but simultaneously lost a portion of his self-control. He turned around and strode towards Scarlett, stopping no more than an inch in front of her. Slowly, he raised his hands to cup her face. Brushing aside some stray hairs, he leaned down and kissed her forehead knowing that if he kissed her on the lips, that is not where it would stop. He could feel her hands on his sides and it was almost too much to bear. The current that was running between them was electric and he could feel himself caving into his desire to be with her. He quickly let go of her and got into the carriage, taking off as he sat down.

My god, did he feel that too? she wondered as she watched him leave down the street, occasionally turning around to look at her. When he was out of eyesight, Scarlett walked back into the house, filled with hope and brimming with tears.


	8. Chapter 8

The sun was starting to set when Scarlett woke up. After Rhett had left, she came back into the house in such a daze that the only thing she could think to do with herself was go up to her room and stare out the window. Her mind was swirling with thoughts of pain and happiness. The kiss he gave her before he left was filled with such passion that if it had been planted on her lips, she was sure she would have combusted. She could only recall passion like that happening once in her life. That one glorious night when Rhett was fueled by drink and jealousy and Scarlett let down her guard and allowed herself to feel and do things women were told ladies would never do.

Blushing at the memory, she got off of the loveseat and made her way to her vanity. Her eyes were still puffy from crying before she fell asleep and her hair was a mess. Not that it mattered. Rhett wasn't here to see it. A dull, lingering pain started to develop in her chest that she had never experienced. Heartache was a part of it, but there was something far more profound affecting her. It was comparable only to mourning, whatever it was.

At times when she was feeling her worst, Scarlett often went into Rhett's bedroom and slept in his bed. It was the only way she could think of to feel close to him when he was away which, when she really thought about it, was terribly depressing. She should feel close to him sleeping in her bed, which was initially their marriage bed until she forbade him to touch her and forced him out. How dim of me, Scarlett thought. I pushed him out and all I'm doing now is hoping for him to come back.

Upon entering the room, she was overwhelmed by the smell of it. It smelled like Rhett. She started to move towards the bed when a thought suddenly came to her. As many times as she had been in here since he left, she had never gone through his drawers. Even when they were not getting along, or married for that matter, she had always been intensely jealous and curious about Rhett when he was not with her. It was always a feeling that she ignored because she felt she had no right to feel so, but now she let it consume her. Curiosity got the better of her and she found herself going through his nightstand.

Initially she was just finding newspapers and old books written by long dead men when she started finding what she was looking for. A beautiful, ornate cigar box was what first caught Scarlett's attention beneath piles of papers, which she set aside to look through later. The box could hold at least two dozen cigars, but there was less than ten left. She idly wondered how long it took him to smoke all those cigars. There were bottles of liquor hiding in the nightstand and under the bed. He had apparently developed an alcohol problem as bad as Scarlett's toward the end and it sickened her to realize it. To her, he was such a strong, resilient man that could power his way through anything, and yet he fell prey to the same addiction she did. It was a humbling thought to her.

In his closet she found still more bottles, but she also hit the goldmine. Three parcels were in the corner hidden behind items of clothing he had left behind. Picking them up, Scarlett felt that they were light and whatever was inside was highly flexible. She picked them up, took the papers she had found, and made her way into the library. Seldom was it that she went in there, but it now seemed the appropriate place to go through everything she had found. Making her way through the papers was extremely disorienting. She had always known Rhett was wealthy, but what she was finding was not wealth. It was a fortune, the likes of which Scarlett had never conceived.

"My god Rhett! Where did you get all this!?" she said out loud to herself. She was in shock. The papers showed that over the course of a decade, he had deposited several million dollars into the bank he now co-chaired for. This revelation made Scarlett stop in her tracks and it put everything into perspective for her. It all made sense now. How he was able to buy her anything she wanted, build the mansion in Atlanta without regard for the price of anything, travel the way he did, put the children in the best school in Charleston, and his off handed comments about how he wouldn't mind having a whole brood of children. The cost of anything was completely inconsequential to him. Even Scarlett occasionally wondered if her demands were too expensive, but she now knew why Rhett would laugh when she ventured to make such a comment. He knew the truth about his wealth and she didn't until now.

Papers dated during the time she had gone back to Tara before the separation showed he was making adjustments to his will. I guess he knew for awhile that he was going to leave me, she contemplated to herself. Rhett had altered the amount he was leaving her from one million down to half a million, which was still an obscene amount of money. More than she would spend in her lifetime if she tried. Ella and Wade were both left the same amount as her. Shockingly, he was even leaving Beau Wilkes behind a quarter of a million. That man loves children more than anything on this earth, she thought with a smile. How generous of him. Varying amounts of money were left to his family in Charleston and the rest was left to various churches and charities. In the same pile as the will information was the deed to the house. To Scarlett's surprise, Rhett had turned the deed over from his name to hers. This house was hers. This big, stupid house that she had come to loathe, was hers.

Pushing aside the papers, Scarlett was ready to see what was hiding inside the three parcels. The anticipation of seeing what was inside was killing her. Upon opening the first parcel, she felt her blood run cold. It was obvious what it was, but she pulled it out anyway. Fury flared through her veins and she threw the item as far away from her as it would go.

"What the hell is this!?" she yelled at the top of her lungs. Tearing open the next two parcels in quick succession, she realized they were more items like the first. She threw them as well and cleared the desk she was at with one swift, angry swipe of her arms.

"These were obviously not intended for me. That disgusting, conniving adulterer!" she screamed at the fine French lingerie lying unassumingly on the floor. Storming out of the library, she ran back to her room and found a hidden bottle of brandy and took a long, hard swig.


	9. Chapter 9

How could I have been so stupid!? Scarlett angrily thought to herself, in regards to both her drinking and with Rhett. He had once told her that he did not hold fidelity as a virtue. She should have taken him at his word then and there. Never had he promised to be faithful to her. In fact, he insinuated that fidelity was something that people claimed they believed in, but never followed.

If she was being honest with herself, it wasn't so much the fact that he had been intimate with someone else that infuriated her as much as the fact that he had a mistress which he cared enough about to go out of his way and get her lingerie. Does he love her, she wondered. Is that who he would go see when he wouldn't come home? Why am I moping around for someone who doesn't want me and had an affair? And how hypocritical of him to be so harsh on me with regards to Ashley when he was going much farther with his mistress then Ashley and I were!

She had a few more swigs of her brandy before she threw it across the room where it burst into a million pieces with a loud shattering sound. Only the weak fall into such nasty habits, she told herself. I am not weak! I am much stronger than this. I will not be controlled by a substance. Damn that scoundrel I call my husband for pushing me to this!

"Scarlett, it's time for dinner," a servant said while knocking on the bedroom door.

"I'll be down in a minute," she replied. She knew she had been awful to the servants as of late so she purposely responded in a softer tone. Her mother and father would have been appalled by her treatment of the servants and she knew she had to change immediately so she would no longer feel ashamed of herself. The brandy coursing through her was having an effect, but it was easy to ignore since she was not completely drunk. Exiting the room with as much dignity and self-control that she could muster, she made her way down the staircase.

The dining room smelled of the ham and potatoes that were served for dinner. Taking her place at the table she began to make her way through the meal. Ham and potatoes was always one of her favorite dishes and it was helping her to forget the situation with Rhett. The chocolate cake that was served for dessert was luscious and she felt thoroughly satisfied. As she got up from the table, Mammy came into the room and set a lavishly wrapped box on the table.

"Rhett had this sent over for you lamb," Mammy said. She was looking at Scarlett with an expression that read she was bracing herself for her to yell at her. It broke her heart that Scarlett's health had taken a down turn and she wasn't able to stop it. Guilt ate at her when she looked into Scarlett's eyes. Mammy visibly relaxed when Scarlett looked up at her with a smile.

"Thank you Mammy. I will be taking this up to my room if you don't mind," she said as she picked up the box and headed for the hallway. It was rude the way she exited the room without waiting for a response, but she felt she had to get out of there as fast as possible to see whatever Rhett had sent her. Why would he send it though, she thought. Why not just give it to me in person?

Scarlett ran the whole way to the room, her hands shaking in anticipation of seeing what was in the box. Sitting down at her vanity, she set the box down in front of her, but stopped short of tearing into it like she had wanted to do not two seconds before hand. The note tucked in under the bow caught her attention in the worst way possible. Although it only had "Scarlett" written on it in Rhett's beautiful scroll, a wave of apprehension hit that she couldn't shake. He cheated on me, Scarlett thought venomously to herself. I can't allow whatever is in here to change how angry I feel towards him right now. She picked up the note, ready for whatever it said.

_Dear Mrs. Butler,_

_I meant to give this gift to you in person, but never felt the appropriate time present itself. It reminded me of you when I saw it. I hope you like it._

_I pray for your continued recovery._

_Love,_

_Rhett_

While the letter as a whole seemed fairly insignificant to her, the _Love _signature was. The letter was written in his normal, determined scroll, but the way love was written spoke volumes to her. The peak of the L was a large ink spot, which meant to her that he had hesitated. It was as if he was torn between writing his usual _Sincerely _signature and changed it last second. He felt it. My god he did feel that spark between us, Scarlett thought. That was what tore at him when he wrote this. He wants to tell me he loves me and this is his way of doing it.

This was the very thing that she needed to continue her path of waiting for Rhett so he could, yet again, admit he loved her. It was the sign that Scarlett was waiting for, but the moment was tainted. After her months of waiting, she had her sign, but it was paid for with the knowledge that he had an affair.

If I wait, I could be waiting for years, she thought in an almost detached tone in her head. I will be miserable the whole time and it may not even pay off in the end. He might move on and find someone new. Meanwhile, I will have wasted so much time sitting around, waiting for him. How pathetic a life I would be leading! Waiting around for someone that may never come back to me! And God as my witness, I may never move past the fact that he cheated on me. Our marriage meant nothing to him if he was able to carry on with a mistress. Our marriage meant nothing!

This house is poison. Our marriage is poison. This whole damn city is poison.

I need to get out of here. I need to runaway and never look back.

It was at that moment that Scarlett knew that for her to become herself again, she needed to abandon everything that tied her here. All of it needed to go. When the realization washed over her, she felt as if she were no longer suffocating under everything that she had done. She knew that she would always love Rhett, but she had made this mess and now she needed to lie in it. Scarlett felt she needed to let him go so they could both move on. It made no sense to keep taunting herself with potentially getting him back when he obviously didn't want her. She felt dumb for thinking he might come back. She also felt as if a part of her had died.

With conviction flowing through her, she put aside the gift vowing to open it only once she was on her way out for good. Even though her heart was breaking with what she was about to do, she also felt exhilarated know she was leaving all this behind.


	10. Chapter 10

Scarlett awoke the next morning still attempting to tame her battling feelings. While she felt relieved and excited to leave everything behind, she was also mourning her giving up hope to revive her marriage to Rhett. The pain was searing, but she knew she was doing what she had to do for both of them. One of the issues she had to consider was where she was even going to go. All she knew was that she wanted to go somewhere that would be far enough away so people she knew wouldn't run into her and she didn't want to know a single soul there. It was important for her to have a fresh start, like a rebirth.

Before she got too far ahead of herself, there was the matter of cutting the ties here that she would have to tend to. Her first stop would have to be a visit to Ashley, as detestable an idea as that might be. Ashley was now the outright owner of the lumber mill and Scarlett intended to change that. Rebuilding was in full swing in Atlanta and she was sure that Ashley was not taking advantage of it. She would have to find a way to not only get him to allow her to fix the books and correct the business path of the mill, but also hand her over a stake in the mill. If his chivalry was still intact, she may have a good chance at getting everything she wanted without him ever knowing what her intentions were.

Fixing and attaining a stake in the mill served a dual purpose. She wanted back part ownership in the mill since it had the ability to be extremely profitable and, once it was fixed, would make her enough money to be independent monetarily from Rhett. This was of the upmost importance to Scarlett since she knew that if she continued to use Rhett's funds once she left, it would not only make it easier for him to find her if he so desired to, but she would also not be free in the way she needed to be. Free from him and everything they had together. Also, this would be fulfilling her promise to Melanie to look after Ashley. Money would be stable for him once the business was fixed, but the rest of his life was for him to tend to. That was his responsibility to fix; there was only so much that she could do.

* * *

Walking over to the Wilkes residence, Scarlett started to take in the magnitude of what she was doing. After talking with Ashley and attaining a stake in the mill, there would be no turning back. She would be laying the ground work for her upcoming departure. Her steps faltered for a fraction of a second, but she continued her path to the front door of the Wilkes house with confidence and knocked on the door. To her dismay but not surprise, India opened the door with a scowl and a look of confusion.

"Go away Scarlett. You are not wanted here. I will not have you near Ashley," she said in a firm tone once she got her bearings about Scarlett showing up unannounced. India gave Scarlett's body a quick once over and obviously noted the change in her weight and the pallor of her skin. Her expression lessened in its severity, but only marginally.

"Let in whoever is at the door India. I can hear you being a rude host already," someone shouted at her from inside before Scarlett even had a chance to retaliate herself. The voice was definitely Ashley's, but she had never heard it take that tone. She had never even heard him raise his voice. India immediately moved aside to allow Scarlett through the doors, which showed her that she had potentially started to be intimidated by Ashley. He was so meek normally that it was hard to imagine anyone being intimidated by him, but maybe losing Melanie had turned him into an angry man.

"What a pleasant surprise! Please come in Scarlett," Ashley said as he entered the hallway she was standing in. In many ways Ashley now looked like Scarlett did. He had lost a lot of weight and all color in his skin was now gone. His gaunt face was a shock to her system and she wasn't sure how to handle it. I came just in time, Scarlett thought to herself.

"It is good to see you Ashley. You must tell me how you have been," she replied as they stepped into his office. The office was a disorganized mess that was hard to navigate. It had obviously not been cleaned in months; probably since Melly had died. The ledger for the mill was sitting atop other papers on the desk.

"Better now that you are here. It has been so long since I have seen you. What have you been doing with your time?" he asked. There was a note in his voice that she found perplexing. It almost made her wonder of he had heard rumors of her through India and he wanted her to confess them to him. She decided to not lie to him.

"Next to nothing. I've been holed up in my house for awhile. I left for New Orleans for a short trip, but that is it," she told him. It was such a sad moment for her when she realized she was able to summarize the last half year in three sentences. He needn't know about her alcoholism.

"I can describe the last few months the same way, minus the trip. I have been leading a pathetic life. Seeing you has breathed new life into me. It is inspiring," he smiled pleasantly at Scarlet, all trace of his initial anger towards India gone. She's probably smothering him, Scarlett thought. India is awful when it comes to matters of her brother. But why would it be inspiring to him to see me? Has he heard rumors?

"Why would it be inspiring to see me? I hardly look like my old self," Scarlett replied knowing that she was preying on Ashley's gentleman nature to take care of her and lift her spirits.

"You will always be beautiful Scarlett. No need to look down on yourself. There is something I do wish to inquire about though, if you permit me to be so bold," he said. Here we go, thought Scarlett with apprehension as she nodded her head.

"I have heard ill words spoken of you and Rhett. You know I am no champion of him, but I find it hard to believe that he would leave you, especially considering the timing," Ashley posed. It was hard for Scarlett to take in his words. She had thought about the separation and how bad it felt, but never had she considered the timing and how it would look to the outside world. He must look like a jackass, she thought with slight mirth.

"Rhett hasn't been home lately, but he was here the other day. He has business to tend to concerning a bank he's on the board of. He comes home whenever he can get away for awhile," Scarlett replied. Ashley will never know the truth about Rhett and me ever, she thought to herself. Well, at least he won't until I'm gone for good.

"I see. So would I be assuming too much if I connected you absconding to New Orleans with his visit here a few months ago?" he asked. Why the inquisition, Scarlett wondered. This really is none of his business, but I must keep calm to get what I need. And how in hell does he know about Rhett's visit a few months ago?

"Yes. I didn't get notice of him coming so I took a brief trip to get out of the house. He happened to come during that time. How did you know he came by for a visit?" Scarlett inquired. Perhaps my servants were talking around town when running errands and India overheard, she thought. All of them will be fired sooner rather than later if that's the case.

"Because he came here looking for you when he concluded you weren't in the house. He looked furious and scared oddly enough," he said with an expression that read that he wanted her to clarify everything for him. She was in no mood, nor did she have the desire, to do so.

"Did he," Scarlett replied as a statement rather than a question to send him the message that she was done with this conversation. Thankfully, he seemed to get the message.

"Look at me prying when it is not my place! I apologize Scarlett. I have been incredibly rude when here you are for a pleasant visit," Ashley relented. It was a relief when he finally stopped. She wasn't sure how much more of this line of questioning that she could handle.

"It's quiet alright Ashley. I merely came over to see how you are doing since I hadn't gotten word in months," she said leaving the conversation open enough for him to lead it, hopefully into lumber mill matters.

"I have been a mess my dear. I have difficulty focusing on anything. Thankfully Rhett took Beau to boarding school in Charleston because Lord knows I was neglecting him and I don't want him to see me like this. My negligence has even spilled into matters of the lumber mill because I may have to close it soon," he stated as if it were okay his only source of income would go by the wayside. The money Melanie left behind would not be enough to support him for long.

"Oh Ashley, it doesn't have to be like that. You need to start healing for your sake and for Beau's. He has lost his mother; he can't lose his father too. The business cannot be allowed to go down because you would have no way to support yourselves," Scarlett told him knowing what to say to soothe him and keep him on track with the business she came for. Thank god he brought it up himself, she thought.

"I know, I know, but I don't know where to start Scarlett. I'm such a waste when it comes to business matters and I feel so lost. When we were business partners, you were the only one with a business mind," he responded despondently. She knew that now was the time to make her move.

"I hate seeing you like this. I can help you. Allow me to help you fix the lumber mill. I can get it back on track so it is profitable again," she told him. It dawned on her that he needed this as much for monetary reasons as he did for sanity ones. She was no longer just doing this for herself; she was doing it to save him as well.

"I can't ask that of you. It would take too much work and I can't take your charity," he replied unable to look at her. He felt like a failure and the expression he had obviously showed he was broken.

"Don't be stupid Ashley. This isn't charity. I need to help you and you know it," Scarlett replied with conviction.

"Assuming I even allow you to help me, it can't be for free. I would never let that happen with as much work as it would be. But I have no money to give you," he said with a voice that told Scarlett he was starting to cave.

"Then what do you propose?" she asked. Come on Ashley, she was thinking. Just give me stake in the mill, please, for both of us.

"Would you take stake in the mill as payment?" Ashley replied finally looking into Scarlett's eyes.

"Since payment is the only way you'll let me help you, then yes. Stake in the mill will work," Scarlet said in silent victory.


	11. Chapter 11

As Scarlett made her way through the ledger and paperwork for the mill, she started to appreciate the extent of work she would have to put into making it successful again. The ledger was completely unbalanced and the profit margin was so minimal that she was surprised the mill had lasted this long. Great balls of fire! He's destroyed what took me years to build in a few months, she thought with anger that she was sure was radiating off of her body in waves.

"I can't apologize enough for this. I know how bad it is," Ashley said in a defeated tone. He could feel how angry she was and it truly upset him that he was the source of it. At one point, his pride would have been severely damaged if a woman was having to help him repair a business, but right now it didn't matter anymore. The mill was in shambles and its only hope was Scarlett.

"Stop apologizing to me Ashley and pass me that stack of papers," she said pointing at a pile in the far right corner of the desk without looking up at him. She was deep in calculations for the cost of labor over the past few months and she was in no mood to tolerate his apologies. Thoughts that she should have tended to these matters sooner kept cropping up, but she kept shoving them towards the back of her mind so she could keep working. Not taking away from the fact that she was angry at Ashley, she felt relieved to finally have something to do. It was almost soothing to her to be doing the calculations to get her precious mill back in shape.

* * *

"Ashley, I must be getting back to my house. I'm taking these papers home with me, but I'll be back tomorrow to go over them with you during the visit with Uncle Henry," she told him as she stood for the first time in hours from the desk. Progress had been made; however, there were still hours of work ahead of her before she would understand the full extent of the damage he inflicted on a good business. Uncle Henry Hamilton was hosting Scarlett and Ashley at his office the next day in order to go over the business numbers and do the paperwork necessary for Scarlett to co-own the business again.

"I look forward to your visit. There is something I want to tell you though before you go. Earlier when we were discussing you having stake in the business, I felt that that it should be more than a stake. How would you feel about splitting the business in half, each of us owning 50%? It makes sense when accounting for what each of us will be taking responsibility for and I don't want you to feel used by owning less than that while doing so much work," he stated as she continued to gather paperwork. To say she was shocked would be an understatement. She really only wanted a quarter share in the mill, but she wasn't going to turn it down knowing that it would take care of her monetary needs as well as his. It made sense that they would both go into this renewed partnership with equal stakes.

"That's very generous of you. It will be good to figure out how everything will work out tomorrow though. Will you see me out?" she asked looking up at him seeing him return her gaze with something that looked like relief in his eyes.

"Of course. Do you need help carrying the papers home?" he replied.

"No, but thank you," she said as she made her way around the desk with the papers and into the hallway. Ashley was walking behind her, but made his way around her in order to open the door for her.

"Good night Scarlett," he said as she walked out the door.

"Good night Ashley," she replied walking past him to make her way home. The matters of the lumber calculations were swirling through her brain along with something else; a letter she had to write as soon as she got home. She planned to write it tonight before working further on the paperwork so she could deliver it to the post office before the visit to Uncle Henry.

Walking through the front door, she was hit with a feeling of relief knowing that in a few days, she would no longer have to come into this house again. The staircase no longer seemed as big and the air no longer seemed as stiff. A smile spread across her thin, beautiful face as she set the papers and ledger down on a desk in the library. I'm almost out of here, she thought.

She sat down with her pen and paper to write her letter when she was yet again hit with the realization that this was yet another nail in the coffin of her time here in Atlanta. You need to do this, Scarlett told herself. It has to be done. I must make amends. Putting pen to paper, she began to write the necessary letter.

_Dear Rhett,_

_I know you said that you would be leaving Charleston soon, so I was wondering if you will still be there in a week? I plan on visiting my children at their boarding school and I was hoping to see you while I'm there. My visit will only be a day, so I should not be too much of a disruption in plans that you may have. Please let me know if I should expect to see you or not._

_Love,_

_Scarlett_

Her signing of love was paying homage to his signature on the note he left with her gift. She still loved him and always would; this was her way of letting him know that. Tears welled in her eyes and instead of resisting them, she let them fall freely down her face so she could take in what she had just done.

She had just written her last letter to Rhett, asking to see him one last time.


	12. Chapter 12

"Ashley, you're late! Where have you been?" Scarlett questioned him after he walked into Uncle Henry's office a full thirty minutes late. This was incredibly rude of him and also uncommon. The emotions going through her were all heightened since dropping off the letter to Rhett at the post office, so the way she barked her question took Ashley aback as well as herself.

"I'm terribly sorry Scarlett and Uncle Henry, but India held me up. I got here as soon as I could," he replied timidly as he took the seat next to Scarlett across the desk from Uncle Henry. He had a frazzled look about him that Scarlett associated with his embarrassment at being late and her initial anger towards him. She immediately regretted acting irritable.

"It's quite alright Ashley. You're my only appointment today since I figured the paperwork that has to get done will take a while to fill out. Now is Scarlett correct in telling me that you are wanting to hand over half of the lumber mill since she is correcting the ledger and the business path of the mill?" Uncle Henry inquired.

"Yes, that's correct. She is the best out of the two of us at maintaining the books and establishing a business plan. I will be able to handle working the store front and ordering the supplies to keep the store stocked," he said. He looked better today and seemed to enjoy talking about business rather than being cooped up in the house he and Melanie used to share. The revival of the mill was going to benefit him as much as it was going to benefit Scarlett.

"Excellent. It makes things simpler knowing that you both understand the responsibilities you have and what your share in the mill is," Uncle Henry noted as he started to write down the parameters of their business association on official documents.

"I must also give you praise Scarlett. You did a marvelous job with the calculations in the ledger. Would you please explain what you found to Ashley while I finish this?" he requested of Scarlett. She turned to him and started to explain.

"The good news is that there seems to be a steady stream of business. However, you have not been capitalizing on the business by having accurate prices for the profit margin. The profit margin is far too low to sustain you and the mill for much longer. Also, why haven't you signed off on supplying lumber for the new hotel? That is going to be a huge hotel and the price they are willing to pay is exactly what the business needs right now," Scarlett told him. When going over all the paperwork last night, she was perplexed by him not signing off on the contract for the hotel. It made no sense.

"The builders of the hotel are Yankees. I've always hated having business dealings with Yankees and I don't plan start now," he replied strongly to Scarlett. He knew not signing the contract put the mill at risk, but he held to what he said as a matter of pride.

"Damn it Ashley! Now is not the time to go on about who you will and won't do business with when you're about to lose everything!" she scolded him. Immediately she knew her outburst upset Uncle Henry because he looked visibly shocked, whereas Ashley didn't looked phased at all. He's heard me shout too many times to care anymore, she thought.

"There's no need for that kind of talk in here; although, I do agree with Scarlett, Ashley. You could make decisions like that if you were in a better place financially, but you're not. The contract with the hotel needs to go through if you want the mill to last," Uncle Henry told him plainly, reiterating what Scarlett said originally just in a calmer tone.

"I don't feel good about this. Can't there be any other way?" he asked in a last attempt to keep his pride on the matter.

"No. This must be done to sustain you," he replied frankly. Ashley, looking crestfallen, nodded his head in acceptance.

"Good. Now that we know where this is going, I need you both to sign the contract now for the hotel. The paperwork can be filed by the end of the business day if we're lucky," Uncle Henry said as he passed them pens and the contract to sign off on. It was the first set of many signatures to come during the appointment.

* * *

"We got a lot of work done today. Now Ashley, could you please take that contract and the new ownership agreement to the courts to be filed right now? It would be best to get that out of the way today," Uncle Henry said as the three of them stood since the meeting was over.

"Certainly. Thank you for all your help. Good day to you both," Ashley replied as he walked out of the room with all the paperwork that was going to be filed. Scarlett watched him leave, but made no move to follow his lead.

"Uncle Henry, there is something I wish to discuss with you privately. Would you mind?" she asked.

"No, I wouldn't. But please, let us take a seat on the couches. It would be more comfortable than those hard wood chairs. What is it that you wish to discuss?" he smiled pleasantly as he led her to the seating area in his office.

"How my control over the mill will be executed. You see, I don't plan to stay here much longer," Scarlett revealed to him. He was the first person she discussed her impending departure with. If he was willing to work with her, he would be the only person who knew the truth about her departure and where she was going to go.

"I see. And when you say that you don't plan to stay here much longer, am I to presume that you are moving out of Atlanta?" he inquired. It was easy to tell that his interest in the matter was peaked, since she seemed to give the impression during the meeting that she was going to be a very hands-on owner.

"Uncle Henry, I don't even plan on living in Georgia," she said. A lump was starting to develop in her throat from the shear sadness of discussing this, but she kept her voice steady.

"And where do you plan on going?" he questioned, getting more and more intrigued as the seconds ticked by on his desk clock.

"I don't know yet. But I will be leaving in less than a week," she replied. The days are flying by so fast, she thought.

"That seems like a rather impulsive move. Are you sure that you have thought everything through?" he posed with his voice dripping with curiosity.

"I'm sure. But when I get wherever I decide go, I will send you an address. That is where you will send me all news of business, my personal finances, and anything else that seems of importance to you," she said with strength in her voice so he could stop doubting her.

"So when you are gone, I send you all the important news and paperwork, and all the while I keep maintaining your finances here along with the house?" he asked. She could tell he was screaming for her to tell him why she was doing this. He didn't have much longer to wait for the answer.

"You already take care of my finances as it is, but you will no longer have to deal with matters of the house. I want you to put it up for sale and I don't care what price you put on it. I just want it gone to whoever makes the first offer," she replied as a sense of heaviness lifted off her shoulders. She could practically taste her impending freedom.

"Excuse me!? You want me to sell the Peachtree house? Scarlett, that house is worth a fortune! I can't just sell it to whoever gives the first offer. They would practically be stealing it! And as it is, I'll need Rhett to sign off on it," he said with such shock in his voice that Scarlett was surprised he didn't faint. She had truly provided a shock to his system.

"No you don't. Rhett transferred the deed over to my name. The house is mine and you will do as I say with it," Scarlett chastised him. How dare he challenge her!

"Please tell me he at least knows you are doing this. After all, he does send money each month to pay for the house expenses. He will notice if the money gets to me and not only isn't used, but is placed back into his account," Uncle Henry stated with almost a tone of fear in his voice. Rhett had a way of inspiring fear in others.

"He doesn't know and he won't know until I'm gone and even then you will not tell him, or anyone for that matter, where I have gone," she replied. If he found out what she was doing, she wasn't sure of what he would do. Either way, she didn't want to find out. What Scarlett was asking him to do was obviously affecting him because he got up from the couch and made his way to the mini bar in the corner of the room.

"Scarlett, is there something else you wish to ask of me? I'm exhausted and would like to go home," he said with the intent of getting across to her that he wanted out of this office as soon as possible. The thought of crossing Rhett and his money behind his back was daunting.

This is it, Scarlett thought. Now is when you need to tell him the reason you are really here. The ultimate tie keeping you here needs to be severed. Her heart rate picked up and she felt as if her heart was literally breaking inside her chest. A wave of nausea was hitting her, a headache was threatening to split her skull in half, and tears were trying to spill forth from her eyes. Say it Scarlett! Say it, she screamed at herself.

"Yes. There is also the matter of my needing your help in filing for a divorce," she choked out through the lump in her throat. Even through the tunnel hearing which overcame her, she heard Uncle Henry drop the decanter he was holding and the shattering sound it made when it hit the floor.


	13. Chapter 13

"No! Scarlett, you cannot do this nor should you ask of me to help you. I will not aid you in becoming a divorced woman," Uncle Henry said as he regained his wits. Knowing that her marriage was strained was one issue, but he did not foresee divorce as an option. Henry knew what was required to file for a divorce, he was a lawyer after all, but he had never helped someone file for one, nevertheless a woman. He had never even heard of a woman filing for a divorce and he could not allow her to be the first. She was, after all, a Hamilton.

"You must Uncle Henry! I refuse to be married to Rhett any longer. You are the only one I trust to help me with this," Scarlett pleaded with him. She knew she was facing an uphill battle with getting him to help her, but she could not go to any other lawyers out of fear of the news getting back to Rhett before she wanted him to know. Plus, other lawyers would flat out refuse her request and news of it would spread like wildfire in the sewing circles of both the Old Guard and Yankee women. Even Yankees would be shocked by the news. It was only a matter of time before everyone knew of course; she just didn't want to be around when it happened.

"I do not think you understand what you are asking for. Assuming Rhett even consents to the divorce proceedings, it may not even be granted since it was not he who filed for it. You don't even have grounds for a divorce!" he said emphasizing the final point to try and get her to see that this cumbersome conversation had no purpose. While the status of their relationship was questionable at best, that did not mean filing for divorce was necessary.

"I most certainly do have grounds! He's abandoned me Uncle Henry. When he left me months ago, he asked for a divorce and then took up residence in Charleston. If that isn't reason enough nobody would be able to get a divorce," she stated with such bitterness in her voice that it made her own blood boil with rage. Not only had the man she loves abandon her, but he also had an affair while they were married. Scarlett elected to not tell him though since it served no purpose. It was too personal and it would not cause the courts to rule in her favor; especially if Rhett brought up the fact that she had forced him out of their room and she had refused martial relations for years.

"What do you mean he's abandoned you? Why, he told me himself that he had business to tend to up north and that he would be sending money to make sure I took care of business here, regarding you, while he was gone. He by no means looked happy to be leaving. And think about it! He was here just the other day and a few months ago when he managed to get away from work," he emphatically told her. The conversation was starting to agitate him. It was not every day when he felt he was in a conversation he had no control over. He desperately wanted Scarlett to leave and fast.

"He has no business to tend to up north! Rhett is in Charleston! Away from me! The only reason he comes back is because he promised me that he would come back to help keep the gossip at bay. He wanted to divorce me, but I refused to accept it. Now I want one. I want away from everything that reminds me of him," Scarlett choked out as tears started to flow down her face. It was as if a dam had burst forth and every tear she had held back during the conversation poured forth. Weakness was something Scarlett never allowed anyone to see in her, but she didn't care anymore. She was weak. Mentally and physically she was drained by what she was going to do in the coming week and if anyone was going to see her like this, it might as well be Uncle Henry. Through everything, she knew he loved her and would take care of her... and this outpouring of emotion would most likely trigger a sympathetic response, hence making him more pliable to her demands.

"Oh Scarlett, I'm so sorry. I had no idea things were that bad between you and Rhett. I apologize if I seemed insensitive, but I'm hesitant to help you file for a divorce. Do you have any idea what this will do to your reputation?" he asked feeling both sympathetic and angry as he handed her a handkerchief. He felt sympathetic towards her because whatever had transpired in their marriage was painful and awful enough to cause her to want a divorce, effectively destroying what reputation she had left. Anger also overcame him because Rhett was enough of a cad to suggest a divorce and hurt her in a deep and profound way. The scene before him and what was playing inside his mind were things he never thought would happen no matter how long he lived. He started to steel himself for what he was going to say and the implications of it.

"With enough courage, you can do without a reputation," was all she replied to him. Those words he said so long ago rang through her mind and it was only now that she was willing to fully embrace its meaning. Her reputation in Atlanta would be in shambles and she no longer cared. Liberation was on the horizon.

"Lord be with me," he whispered clearing his throat. "I'll help you Scarlett." Taking a seat beside her, he knew he was doing the right thing no matter how wrong it felt. If what she wanted was to escape Rhett, he would help her do it. The only thing that now caused him hesitation was Rhett's reaction to finding out about Scarlett filing for divorce. It is one thing to say you want a divorce; it is another to find out your partner has filed without you knowing. Maybe Rhett would just take the whole thing in stride and just sign the papers to be done with it. All he knew was that the last place in the world he wanted to be was in the same room as Rhett when he found out what she had done.

"Thank you Uncle Henry. Thank you," Scarlett said lifting her tear streaked face to meet his concerned one. She felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and dread knowing that she now had what she wanted. It was exhausting for her to continue to feel such warring emotions at every turn.

"To what extent have you thought about this? Do you know what you would want out of the divorce?" he asked in a subdued tone. Hopefully she had an idea of what she wanted so the talks would not be too prolonged. This was far too depressing an issue to dwell on for long.

"I don't want anything. I want the house to sell, but that is in my name so it should be of no concern to him. He hated the house any way. Everything I leave behind in it can be sold as well. All I want is for it to be clear that his money is his money. I want none of it. I can live on what I already have in my account, the mill, and the money left to me by my previous husband," Scarlett stated clearly. Even though she was talking about the fine tunings of the divorce, it felt more like business to her so she was able to calm down and speak clearly.

"And what of the children? If you remember correctly, you agreed to make him a guardian of both Ella and Wade when you initially got married, so he now has as many rights to them as you do," he replied. Rhett always seemed to be so good to the children so he hoped that Scarlett would not completely remove him as an influence from their lives.

"Nothing in relation to the children will change. He adores them as much as they adore him. I would never deprive them of his presence in their lives since he is the only father they have ever known. Besides, he's paying for them to be at boarding school in Charleston and he takes the role of father very seriously," she told him. This was one of the easiest decisions in relation to the divorce that she made. The children would never forgive her if she took them away from him and Lord knows what Rhett would do in an attempt to take them back if she chose to do so. Stability is what they needed most right now and she was in no way savage enough to take it from them when they now had it in Charleston.

"I'm glad to hear he has taken his responsibility so seriously. Do you want to start the paperwork now or at another time?" he asked feeling relieved that at least the children might get out of this unscathed. They deserved to have a calm life now after all that had happened to them and knowing that Scarlett and Rhett both wanted that was comforting.

"Yes, let's start it now," she replied knowing that she needed to get this over with as soon as possible. If it didn't get done now, it might never happen...

* * *

"You just need to sign it Scarlett and the petition will be done," Uncle Henry said after hours of laying out parameters for the divorce. It wasn't too difficult since she literally wanted nothing that came from him.

Scarlett stared at the line which she was to sign with a blank expression worthy of the one Rhett wore when he was concealing emotion. The moment helped her to understand why he did so. She did not want to show the extreme emotions raking her body into a state of agitation. The thought that maybe that was how he felt when he wore this face crossed her mind. Maybe he was constantly at war with himself as she was now. She now understood him far more than she had in the almost thirteen years of knowing him.

_Katie Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler_

Signing her name, she felt withdrawn and numb. Seeing her full name on paper made her think back to all of her namesakes. One last name from birth, two from marriages to men she despised and who died untimely deaths, and one from a man who she loved with every fiber of her soul, but realized it too late. The one thing that they all had in common was that she put them all through hell and now she was finally getting a taste of the flames which engulfed their lives.

She said a quiet goodbye to Uncle Henry and walked outside to see the setting sun. Standing there, she appreciated one of the last Georgia sunsets she would ever see when a gust of wind caught her by surprise. The gust was picking up dirt and sending the pieces in every which direction around her before they were carried away. It was as if the dust in the wind was carrying away the old Scarlett and leaving behind a new one in the early stages of a rebirth.


	14. Chapter 14

"Mammy, stop ignoring me! Please talk to me!" Scarlett was pleading with her beloved Mammy.

The two were currently standing in the living room of a small, modest house on Peachtree Street. It was a lavish room which was decorated in the tasteful tones of cream and light peach. A bay window seat was the main feature of the room with the two large comfortable couches situated across from each other in front of the fireplace. Other pieces of furniture in the room, including an ornate serving table and end tables, were made of a darker hued oak. It felt like a living room should feel, comfortable and welcoming. Something Scarlett had never accomplished in her own living room in the Peachtree mansion.

"You need to talk to me Mammy. Silence will get you nowhere," Scarlett stated. Mammy was currently ignoring her after their huge falling out which had taken place in the very room they were standing in. The silence was deafening and it was the only time that Scarlett could recall Mammy having being so angry and upset with her that she refused to speak.

The day had started out fine, with Mammy bringing her breakfast of honey oatmeal and toast in bed. She had no desire to get out of bed since she had spent the entire previous day going through the house and marking furniture and assorted things to be packed for her to take with her once she left. Her excuse to the house servants was that she was just redecorating, but they knew better. Something was obviously in the works and they started to worry about what was going to happen to them. Mammy finally decided to confront Scarlett about it and when she found her, she was going through her closet setting aside items she wanted to take with her. When the argument started to escalate, Scarlett told her that she needed to leave her alone to sort through her closet and she was dismissed.

Arguing with Mammy was disheartening to Scarlett because she knew what she was going to do the next day and how deeply it would wound Mammy. Scarlett had come to the tough decision to leave Mammy behind when she left for wherever she was going to go because she felt it would be wrong to remove her from the only place she had ever known. Her advanced age was also a concern to Scarlett and she figured if she took her with her, the move would be too much for her ailing body to handle and she would pass away, which was unacceptable. Though Scarlett knew that during the next few days would likely be the last times that she saw her Mammy alive, she could not justify bringing her along only so she would feel more at ease with the move.

In order to ease her guilty conscience at leaving her behind and to make sure she was cared for for the rest of her life, Scarlett bought her the house they were standing in. It had gone up for sale in the past month and when she figured out she would have to leave her when she moved, she decided to buy her the house and pay wages for a servant to tend to Mammy.

When she brought Mammy here to see the house, Mammy assumed that Scarlett was moving from the mansion to this new house because she had somehow run out of money and Rhett was enough of a cad to fulfill his earlier threat of cutting off cash flow. She started to urge Scarlett to find a way to keep the mansion so people would not start to gossip about her when Scarlett revealed that the house wasn't for her to move into, it was for Mammy to move into. Mammy immediately went on the defensive asking why she would do this to her, when Scarlett finally told her the truth of her departure. The argument that resulted was of epic proportions and it had ended in their current silent stalemate.

"Lamb, I needs to come with ya," Mammy finally spoke. The pain was obvious in her voice, but she also seemed determined to get across to her that she wasn't going to let Scarlett leave without her.

"You can't Mammy. I told you, I can't bring you with me when you are already starting to feel the weight of your age on you. This isn't like when you came with me to Atlanta all those years ago. You were younger and in far better health than you are now. It's not like I'm abandoning you either. I'm going to make sure you are always provided for and I'll always be sure to contact you to see how you are doing and tell you of how I have been. I need to do this," Scarlett explained to her. No matter what, she couldn't allow Mammy to convince her to let her come. The decision to leave was hard enough; she didn't need this added stress. She just had to get her to understand that before she caved into her wishes.

"I's always been wit ya no matter whats. I's always been by ya side," Mammy replied. It was breaking her heart to see her Scarlett in such pain and the result of that pain leading her to the decision that she had to leave everything behind. Scarlett leaving and her living in this house would be the first time when she wasn't with a Robillard. She would be on her own for the first time in her working memory.

"I know you have and that's why I bought you this house. This is my way of paying you back for everything you have done for me. I know I never showed much appreciation, but truly Mammy, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I want you to know that. I love you and I want you to be comfortable during the time you have left. Please, accept this house from me," she said holding Mammy's hands in hers. She could tell from the look on her face that she finally accepted what Scarlett was going to do, but it caused her great worry.

"Ya haven't even told me where ya goin'," she posed as a statement and a question. She at least needed to know where she was going since she was accepting the house.

"I don't know yet, but when I figure it out I have to telegraph Uncle Henry and I will make sure he tells you when I send it. Now let's stop with all this sad talk. Let's go back home and have dinner," Scarlett concluded the conversation. She was beginning to feel tired and dinner time was a welcomed excuse to get out of there.

They headed back to the house in silence. Once the front door was opened, they were overcome by the heavenly scent of a stew drifting into the foyer. Scarlett had Mammy accompany her into the dining room to eat beside her. She wanted to spend as much time with her as possible before she took her permanent departure. Upon sitting down at the table, she was greeted by the sight of her mail at her place-sitting. Scarlett was ready to put the pile aside to sort through later when she noticed a telegraph envelope in the stack. Picking it up, it noted that the message inside was sent from Charleston, South Carolina. Inside was Rhett's four word reply to her letter.

_I await your arrival._


	15. Chapter 15

Lying in bed that night, Scarlett started to reflect on the day's events. At the forefront was Mammy's crestfallen face upon learning the news that Scarlett was leaving her behind; Scarlett was sure it would haunt her for the rest of her days. The only thought that was able to comfort her when thinking about it was knowing that she was taking proper care of her by buying her the house here in Atlanta, rather than sending her back to her spiteful sister. Suellen would not provide for Mammy as well as she could and would likely still work her, even though her health was on the decline. Plus, she had always suspected her sister was bitter towards her since it was obvious to everyone that Scarlett was Mammy's favorite. She didn't want to risk her taking it out on Mammy now when it was the last thing she deserved. Mammy would also be in good company here since Prissy was going to stay with her along with her mother Dilcey to see after her needs and take proper care of her.

After thinking about Mammy for a great while, she allowed her mind to wander to thoughts of Rhett. She was thrilled that he was allowing her to see him during her visit to Charleston to see the children; she was also incredibly nervous. Scarlett wanted the visit to be as pleasant as possible, but knowing how angry he must still be about her alcoholism and their dissolved marriage, it wouldn't be an easy task to accomplish. All she desperately wanted was for their time together to be somewhat happy; this was going to be her last memory of him afterall...

* * *

Scarlett was filled with replenished fervor the next morning upon waking up. This was the day she was not only going to be buying her ticket out of this hell for Charleston, but she was also going to decide on what her destination would be after. Where was she going to go? She would have to choose wisely since she was going to live there for the foreseeable future. All she knew was that she wanted to go somewhere that she could be as wild and free as she wanted.

The thought had occurred to her to leave the country for Europe, a place she had always desired to visit, but she decided against it. Not only did she not know what country she would want to settle in, but Rhett had far too many connections throughout the continent for her comfort. The last thing she needed was to be recognized somehow by a business associate of his that would then inform him of his errant ex-wife's location and behavior. She didn't need Rhett to come gallivanting into her life on some impulse to scold her for what she had done and uproot her attempt at a fresh start, if he desired to do so.

Ex-wife, how repulsive a title, she thought. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that title would be bestowed upon her, nevertheless her bestowing it upon herself. Well, I'm not an ex-wife just yet, she told herself with evident acid in her thought. If I had not been so blind for so many years I would have realized that my own damn husband, soon to be ex-husband, loved me. Why on earth did I think he just married me for the marital relations? He had no problem having those kind of relations with plenty of other women before me and he could have easily continued to do so. He wouldn't have thrown away his precious bachelorhood with both hands just for that. No, he loved me even then. Now all he has to do is sign a piece of paper and it will all be gone, as if it never happened at all. The love of my life will be free to do as he wishes, but so will I.

Taking that final thought into consideration, she knew that he could very well decide to get married again. The thought was crushing, but she had to accept it knowing that it was her that was making him free enough to do so. She knew, however, that she would never marry again. She had spoiled more than her fair share of marriages and she was not about to do so again. Never would she love someone as much as she loved Rhett, so the point was moot. Gathering her thoughts after allowing them to drift to places she did not wish to think about, she started to get ready for her eventful day planning her future.

* * *

During the carriage ride over to the train station, Scarlett started to get more and more excited about her departure. Atlanta no longer held the majesty that it once did for her and she could no longer wait to escape it. After everything that had happened to her here, she was surprised she was even getting out alive. Too many good people had died while she lived here and she intended to never let it claim another victim.

Pulling up to the curb of the train station, Scarlett jumped out of the carriage without being helped and headed straight for the ticket stand. There she was greeted by an attractive young man, most likely in his early twenties, whom she could not recall ever meeting. She was relieved since that meant he would most likely not recognize her.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. How can I help you?" he asked in an inviting tone that immediately warmed to Scarlett.

"I need to buy a train ticket to Charleston along with a storage container," she replied hoping that they still had a container car available on the Charleston train.

"Certainly. When would you like to depart?" he inquired.

"As soon as possible," she said. He started to flip through his log to see when the next train to Charleston was and if it had a container on it available. Usually when someone came asking for one so close to the departure date, they had long been sold out.

"It seems you're in luck!" he said looking up from his log. "We have a train departing for Charleston in the morning and remarkably enough, there still seems to be container available on it."

"Excellent. I'll take it," she said elated that she would not have to send for her things at a later date. "Also, could you make a note of it that my furniture and packages be stored at the train station in Charleston for the one day I conduct business there? When I leave the next day, I'll need my belongings then placed in another storage container on my departing train."

"I can make a note of that, but I'll need you to tell me which train you'll be getting on there in order for me to make the note," he replied as he started to gather her paperwork.

"Umm, well, you see I'm not quite sure yet what train I'll be taking from Charleston," she said sheepishly. She knew how ridiculous this whole conversation must sound to the man helping her.

"That's fine," he stated with a smile as if he had this type of conversation every day, easing Scarlett's concern. "Take a look at this schedule for the trains departing from Charleston the day after tomorrow since that seems to be the day you are departing. Let me know when you decide on one."

"Thank you," she replied taking the train schedule from the man. The schedule was fascinating to look at. It contained all of the departing and arrival times of trains in several states for the next few days. Looking at the names of the individual states, she started eliminating them one by one. She had no desire to go to the Virginias, Florida sounded awful, New York held too many connections to Rhett, and so on went her eliminations until she hit one.

Scarlett kept repeating the name of the state to herself and she found that the more she said it, the more she liked it. The new, bustling energy of the place held as much appeal to her now, if not more so, than Atlanta did all those years ago. She knew not a soul there, but she did have a small connection to the place; one which she hoped would not come back to bite her. A few years ago, Rhett had mentioned it once in a short conversation. It seemed to be a place that he liked very much, but had never gone back to since it was so far away and where Scarlett assumed he no longer had associates since he never brought it up before or after that one conversation. He had made some of his initial wealth there by, if she remembered correctly... striking gold.

"California! I'm going to California," she almost yelled out of shear excitement at the young man helping her. She felt as if she was in a state of ecstasy and she didn't care who knew it.

Scarlett was going west.

* * *

Still feeling as if she was on cloud nine after solving the mystery of where she was going to go, Scarlett arrived home intent on now opening the present Rhett had given to her for her birthday. She swore to herself to open it only once she was sure she was on her way out and the paperwork and train tickets she was holding were proof that she was.

Throwing aside the paperwork on her bed, she took a seat at her vanity and pulled out the present from a drawer. Anticipation started to rise inside her as she stared at the beautifully wrapped box before her. Tentatively, she started to undo the white satin bow on top. She set aside the ribbons of the bow hoping they could be incorporated into a dress someday and started to undo the wrapper enclosing the box. Peeling the wrapper away, she was immediately taken aback by the sight of the box.

While the box itself was not ornate in any way, shape, or form, it was absolutely stunning. It was unlike any jewelry box she had ever seen. Instead of the top being one solid piece, it was split in two pieces with a gold, rectangular lock connecting the two pieces and holding it closed. The lock had her name in English calligraphy engraved on it. The box was cushioned and covered in black silk. It was a gift it itself, but she had to see what was inside. Sliding the gold lock to the side, she opened up the two piece top to reveal what it contained.

Scarlett gasped at the sight of the necklace propped up on its setting. The inside of the box and the setting was made of black velvet so as to safely secure the necklace. The necklace was a work of art. It was a fine gold chain that tied off in a knot with excess chain hanging down approximately two inches from the knot. While the chain was stunning, what caused Scarlett to gasp was a tear drop shaped emerald the size of her index finger nail fastened almost like a charm at the end of the excess chain.

Picking it up out of the jewelry box, Scarlett carefully put it on. The way the gold chain sparkled against her porcelain colored skin was a sight to behold. Staring at the emerald, which came to sit at the top of the cleavage point of her chest, she noticed that it intensified and complimented her eyes. If she didn't know better, she would say her eyes and the emerald were the exact same shade of green.

Try as she might, she could not move past the beauty of the necklace. Rhett had bought her plenty of jewelry throughout their marriage, but there was something special about this piece that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She had jewelry that was made of gold and she also had jewelry with emeralds (her engagement ring had several surrounding the center diamond), so she was baffled as to why this piece would affect her so.

In that moment, she swore to wear the necklace as often as possible to serve as a symbol of her lost love. Her love for Rhett grew more consuming each time she looked at the necklace and she could not wait to see his reaction to her wearing it, which would be in a few short hours. With this in mind, she decided she needed to get some sleep before she had to be up to get ready for her permanent departure.

That night, Scarlett didn't sleep a wink. She just laid in bed with a smile on her face and her hand on her chest covering the emerald.


	16. Chapter 16

Scarlett was relieved to finally be in her carriage on the way to the train station. The house was in chaos that morning, what with her belongings and furniture needing to be loaded into several carriages to be taken to the storage container on the train. It took great effort to coordinate the move, but it ended up not being too much of a hassle in the end. Before she left, she made sure to leave every servant with three months worth of wages to ensure that they would have ample money and time to get a new job and place to stay. They were all expressing thanks to her when she stopped them and told them their thanks were uncalled for; it was she who needed to thank them for taking care of her even when she was at her worst. Every penny they got was well deserved.

Her attempts to keep her emotions under control when saying goodbye to Mammy failed horribly. All she had to do was see her face and she started to cry. Mammy embraced her for what seemed like an eternity and it still didn't ease the pain both were feeling about the separation. Wiping away Mammy's tears, Scarlett knew she was touching her face for what she was certain was to be her last time, so she savored the moment. Handing her a note detailing her future location and directions to tell Uncle Henry, Scarlett turned around and headed for the door. Just before she closed it behind her, she turned around and took one last look at the monstrosity Rhett had built for her in the hopes it would be filled with many happy memories with a loving wife. He got neither. When she shut the door, she was finally able to close off that part of her life and she could not feel more relieved about it. She got into the carriage and allowed a smile to creep onto her face. Scarlett did not look back.

Heading in the direction of the train, Scarlett was surprised by how many people were out and about this early in the morning. She had not intended for many people to see her make her departure, but she didn't care by that point. Arriving at the train station, she walked up to the train and handed her ticket to a young man who was charged with the task of checking in those with private cabins. Helping her onto the train, he escorted her to her private cabin and then left her to the privacy of her own thoughts.

Staring out the window she started to take in Atlanta, which had held so much promise for her, but had provided nothing but pain. She was reveling in her happiness at leaving when she spied two familiar faces standing near the train tracks staring directly at her through the glass. Great balls of fire! Don't those two gossipy peahens have anything better to do with their time, Scarlett thought. When she returned Mrs. Merriwether and Mrs. Meade's gaze, they started to talk more animatedly with each other while continuing to stare at her. The train started to lurch forward and Scarlett, throwing caution to the wind, decided to show them exactly what she thought about them. Just as her window started to pull level with two of the most elite members of the Old Guard, she stuck her tongue out at them. Her gesture of defiance and disrespect caused their jaws to drop and their eyes to widen to the size of saucers. This was potentially one of the funniest sights Scarlett had ever seen and she burst into a fit of laughter that lasted for minutes. If this was going to go down as her final memory of them, she couldn't be happier with the way she left.

Settling into her seat for what was going to be a several hour ride, she started to think about what she was hoping to accomplish in Charleston. This was the time when she needed to start the healing process with her children. With her head now cleared of alcohol, she could fully appreciate just how awful of a mother she was even before her latest bought of negligence. She had turned her own son into a timid, scared boy through her utter lack of compassion and kindness and her daughter into someone who needed the constant approval of others since she never got it from her own mother. May God forgive me for what I have done, she thought. Her children were now safe and happy at school in Charleston, but she did intend to tell them of her resolve to constantly write them and tend to whatever needs they had. She was going to be an attentive mother, even if it was from the opposite coast of the country.

Though her children were the reason she was going to Charleston, she could not deny her ulterior motive for going; to see Rhett. She needed to see his face before she left and she was not the slightest bit deterred knowing that he was probably going to be nasty to her the whole time. It was well deserved and she knew it. All that was in her power was how she reacted to it and she intended to keep her composure and carry on for the few short hours they were to have together.

What is going to happen in those few hours, she wondered. Is he going to pick me up? Will he go with me to see the children? Where will I sleep? Will I even see him at all? And so went her thoughts spiraling out of control for several minutes before she stopped herself. All of her questions would be answered in due time, but there was a thought she could not shake.

She desperately wanted to sleep with Rhett. It had been so long since his hands had been on her in an intimate manner and yet she could still recall with ease how her body responded to his touch. Regardless of how he accused her of only wanting it because of some scheme to get pregnant, her only desire now was to feel him against her one more time. Her greatest regret with him in their marriage was banishing him out of their bed. Not only did she miss their late night talks, she also missed cuddling next to him in the night when she was cold and how he would comfort her after he pulled her out of her nightmares. It was only now that she was able to take in how much his body meant to her, aside from the obvious.

Thinking back to some of their trysts, she could recall with great detail how varied they were. While some were frenzied and rough, others were filled with tenderness and passion. The way they made love usually depended on how they addressed each other five minutes before the act. Looking back, she could recall a time when the lines of passion were drastically blurred.

They were in the midst of their honeymoon and Scarlett was growing more and more irritable with the way Rhett would stay out into all hours of the night, leaving her alone in their hotel room. Her irritation rose to a fever pitch one night and she decided to wait up for him. It wasn't until three in the morning that he came traipsing into their room.

"Where on earth have you been!? It's three in the morning!" she shouted at him. Rhett looked startled for a fraction of a second, she usually was asleep by the time he came back, but he regained his bland expression in record time.

"I know what time it is Mrs. Butler. There is no need to shout it at me," he replied coldly.

"Answer my question!" she yelled. She was furious with him and she didn't care if she woke up half the hotel with her tirade.

"Nowhere of your concern. Why aren't you asleep?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Because my husband has been out doing God knows what, with God knows who, all the while leaving me alone all night!" she spat at him with as much venom as she could conjure up.

"Hardly. The sun doesn't rise for proximately three more hours. That's plenty of night left," he replied suppressing a grin knowing this statement would send her into a rage the likes of which he had never seen.

"You low-down cad! You were out with those... those bad women weren't you!? Great balls of fire! Do you lack any sense of decency you nasty varmint!? We are on our honeymoon! Of all the times when you should exercise some restraint it's now!" she raged in his general direction. She felt as if she was about to explode.

"If I was out with, what do you call them... bad women? Don't you think I would reek more like cheap perfume rather than cheap cigars?" he asked sardonically. Truth be told, he was rather enjoying her anger and baiting it was giving him great pleasure. He loved the way she looked when she was angry and though he would never admit it to her, the fact that she was expressing jealousy over him potentially being with other women was incredibly arousing. Wanting to see how far she would go, he neglected to tell her that he was simply playing cards with old friends.

"I hate you!" she yelled at him as she picked up a vase full of flowers and chucked it at him. It flew past his head and shattered on the wall behind him. He immediately started to make his way toward her with a look that was somewhere between anger and amusement. She didn't want him anywhere near her so picked up and threw at him the nearest thing to her, which turned out to be an ornate desk clock. Side stepping the flying clock, he closed the space between them and restrained her hands with one of his own above her head against the wall. She continued to buck wildly in an attempt to get away from him, to no avail.

"Your aim is atrocious," he said tauntingly to her. "However, I shall need to make sure that the next time you fly into a rage there are no knives in the area. My luck, that's when you'd improve."

"Let me go!" she screamed as she continued to buck frantically.

"No Mrs. Butler. I don't think I will," he replied as he engulfed her mouth with a passionate kiss before she could reply.

The fire coursing through her veins suddenly transformed from violent anger to violent desire as she allowed him to deepen the kiss and explore the contours of her body. Rhett let go of her hands and pushed his body flush against hers and into the wall. Taking her newly freed hands, she pushed them onto his chest and undid the buttons of his tuxedo, all the while returning and goading on his passionate kiss. He allowed her to slide the jacket down his arms and on to the floor. It was then that he pulled away just long enough so they could catch their breathes and gage the primal look in each other's eyes. Before she knew what he was doing, he had picked her up and quite literally thrown her on the bed. He then stalked towards her like a lion stalking its prey...

Thinking about that night always put a smile on her face. He never did tell her where he was that night, but she found that she no longer cared. When they woke up the next morning, they both lapsed into fits of laughter at the sight of each other. Rhett looked a fright with his normally slicked back hair sticking out in every direction and his back and arms were marred by what looked distinctly like claw marks. Scarlett's hair was a massive, tangled mess and her swollen lips were residual evidence of what had occurred. He teased her mercilessly for months after that all it had taken to get her to be quiet was a kiss and strangely enough she would laugh along with him. The thought had occurred to her as well and she found it quite amusing. If only they could've had more mornings like that, she was sure they would've been in a far better place.

There were few times when Scarlett had ever been so bold with Rhett. Even though she was unladylike in many ways by the time they got married, she was still occasionally bogged down by wanting to be ladylike in some respects. Rhett despised the way she would try and hold back in bed sometimes and when she would, he would often shock her out of it by doing things to her which she was sure were morally questionable, if not illegal. Her attempts at acting like a lady while making love eventually started to go by the wayside, but only once she realized her attempts were futile. Rhett always saw right through what she was doing and once she started to get more comfortable, he even started to encourage her to initiate relations when she wanted it. There were so few times when she actually was so bold because it still made her feel incredibly nervous and exposed, but there had been a few occasions when she couldn't resist.

One such occasion occurred once they moved into their newly finished mansion on Peachtree Street. She was sitting at her vanity combing her hair and thinking about how thrilling their honeymoon had been. The fun they had in New Orleans would stay with her forever and she couldn't help but smile when she thought about how attentive and caring Rhett had been the entire duration of their trip. That's when she decided to sneak a peek at him in the mirror.

He was sitting with his back against the headboard intently reading the newspaper, a simple act she had come adore. She loved how his face fell into a calm look of content when reading it and if he found an article of particular interest, he would read it to her and ask what her opinion was on the topic. Knowing that he valued her opinion so much warmed her and she sometimes wondered if they were kindred spirits. Conversations where she felt her opinion was valued always made her happy and she suspected that's why they had conversations like that so often. His entire demeanor changed when she would smile and talk animatedly. It was as if a weight was lifted off of his shoulders and he seemed to genuinely enjoy her company at those times.

"Anything interesting?" she asked hoping that they would have one of their usual discussions.

"Not really sweetheart, unless you consider the economic downturn of Mexico of particular interest," he replied with what she was sure was a smirk in his voice. She couldn't help but smile at the comment. He knew her too well.

Looking at him again in the mirror, she started to take in his content expression when her gaze fell to the portion of his chest that she could see. The way the candlelight was bouncing off of it was stunning and her body immediately responded. Her heart rate quickened its pace and her stomach suddenly felt like it was full of butterflies. She wasn't sure if he was going to make an advance towards her that night and she wasn't sure she wanted him to. He had a right to know that she desired him as well and, if could muster up enough courage, she could show him by making the advance herself. The thought of him rebuffing her advance crossed her mind, but she pushed the thought aside. She had to make a move and she had to do it now.

Standing up from her vanity, she made her way towards their massive bed and started to crawl across it to Rhett's side. He still wasn't paying attention to her so she closed the distance between them and poked her eyes just over the top of his newspaper. Nerves started to get the better of her, but that didn't last for long. Rhett failed miserably in his attempt to suppress a smile because the corners of his lips turned up ever so slightly and his chest rumbled lightly with suppressed laughter. It was times like this when Rhett could not deny his love for Scarlett.

Nonplussed by his feigned ignorance, she poked the newspaper with her nose to get his attention. Rhett gave up on his act right then and his face split into a smile so dazzling Scarlett was almost taken aback. It wasn't a sight she saw often, but she reveled in the fact that it was her that inspired it. The thought never occurred to her to understand why his smile affected her so. He folded up with newspaper and set it down on his nightstand.

"Yes Mrs. Butler?" he asked coyly with the smile still plastered on his face.

With his smile serving as encouragement, she leaned in and gave him a kiss that lasted far longer than was considered decent by any standard. When she pulled away, she noticed that his breathing had turned shallow and the expression he was wearing was the rawest she had ever seen. It was as if he was trying to bore into the depths of her soul. He was desperately seeking some sort of answer there and she desperately wanted him to find it, whatever it was.

No longer able to contain himself, he gently reached for her and pulled her towards his powerful chest. He continued to study her face as he ran his long, elegant fingers through her hair. Scarlett was also doing some studying of her own. Never more so than now did she appreciate how handsome her husband was. His thick black hair, tanned skin, dark eyes, and glistening white teeth all equated to a face so beautiful she could not recall ever seeing one surpass it. Before she could analyze the implications of this realization, he pulled her face towards him and gave her a gentle kiss which she immediately deepened. The desire she was feeling was almost unbearable. It took every fiber of restraint in her to keep from attacking him so she could enjoy the way he was slowly caressing her body.

He made passionate love to her for hours that night and she woke up feeling happier and more content than she could recall. Their bodies were still intertwined with each other and when she looked up, she smiled at the sight of him wrapping her hair around his neck. He looked as happy and content as she was...

So many missed opportunities at true love, she thought to herself. Looking back, the way her body responded to his should have been sign enough that she loved him. Nobody had ever made her feel that way. The way he looked into her eyes that night and the emotion she felt should have made her realize not only how much she loved him, but how much he loved her. Analyzing everything to death isn't going to accomplish anything now, she thought. I ruined it for good in the years following that.

After thinking about it for awhile more, she began to feel how tired she was. Better get some rest before my arrival, she thought as she drifted into a deep sleep filled with thoughts of missed chances.


	17. Chapter 17

Someone knocking on the door to her private cabin awoke Scarlett out of her slumber. Quickly taking in her surroundings, she recognized that she was minutes away from the Charleston train station.

"Come in," she called when she regained the ability vocalize thoughts. The sleep she got was far deeper than she could have possibly hoped for and she felt refreshed for her visit to see her children.

"The train will be pulling into the station in under five minutes ma'am. I'm here to help you with your bags and escort you off the train. You'll be one of the first off since you're here in the private cabins," said her young escort with a smile.

"Good, thank you. My bags are in those compartments," she replied pointing up to the overhead compartments across from her as the train started to lurch to a halt. Scarlett's nerves immediately kicked in as she realized the first of one of her frantic questions was about to be answered: would he collect her? She felt as though she was on the verge of hyperventilating as the young man pulled her bags down from the overhead.

"Are you ready ma'am?" he asked. It was obvious she was in a state of distress so he posed the question lightly so as to not startle her.

"Yes, yes of course," she said distractedly as she followed him out of the cabin. Walking along the corridor, she felt her blood run cold and her body started to shake. Her nerves were overpowering her and felt as if she was losing control. The palms of her hands were sweating and her heart was beating wildly inside her chest. My God Scarlett, contain yourself, she kept silently repeating to herself. She did not anticipate being so nervous. Stepping off the train into the sticky cold of Charleston, she felt her nerves whip themselves back into some semblance of control. Taking in the weather, she was mildly amused at how the weather seemed to not be able to make up its mind of what time of year it was. It was attempting to feel like the fall, but it refused to let go of the humidity of the excruciating summer.

"I'll take her bags from here," said a tall black man in a tailored suit as he turned to face her. "Mrs. Butler, my name Clive. I work for your husband."

Scarlett nodded as she allowed it to sink in that Rhett did not come to collect her at the station. She felt as if a part of her had suddenly bottomed out and left her cold. At least the blow was softened by the presence of this man named Clive. He somehow had a balming affect on her and his soft baritone voice was soothing and familiar. She was surprised by how quickly she took to him.

"If you would please follow me," he said gently as he started to lead her out of the station toward a bay of carriages after he collected her bags from the train escort. As the carriages came into better sight, she saw him.

Rhett was leaning against what she presumed to be his carriage looking up towards the sky, almost as if he were looking for some answer in the clouds. The gentle curve of his body as he leaned showed off how tall and powerfully built he was. His hands were tucked into the pants pockets of his breathtaking dark blue suit. Sunlight was playing off of the leather of his highly polish black shoes. She was only able to take in the view for a second when, as if he felt her coming, he turned his body in her direction.

"Mrs. Butler," he said smirking as he bowed slightly and kissed her right hand. To the outside world his tone would sound pleasant, but she knew better. The undercurrent of his voice held tones of malice.

"Mr. Butler," she replied hoping she sounded as friendly as possible. The last thing she wanted to do was argue with him right now. He helped her into the carriage and then made his way around it to take his seat beside her. They departed the station in a tense silence that could be cut with a knife. There were so many unspoken matters between them clogging the air that she chose to speak before she suffocated on them.

"I must admit, I didn't expect to see you Rhett," she said in an attempt to start a conversation.

"Believe me darling, I wouldn't miss this for the world," he replied with thinly veiled malevolence. Scarlett felt herself turn to jelly under his tone.

"Miss what?" she inquired as brightly as she could.

"The cat finally tending to her kittens," he replied bitterly. His words cut Scarlett to her core and caused her breath to catch in her throat. This insult, a new twist on his "a cat is a better mother than you" comment, made her shudder. She knew that there was a possibility that he would be nasty to her during her visit, but the nerve he struck with that comment went far too deep, way too fast. She hadn't even said anything to provoke him! The combative part of her nature had even been silenced. Tears threatened to fall down her face but she forced herself to stare out onto the street at anything that passed to ignore the urge.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Rhett immediately react to what he had just said and her reaction to it. The bland expression he normally wore fell and was replaced by one of self-disgust. He turned to the side and placed his face into his right palm and began to rub his temples. Running his hand roughly down his face, he drew his shoulders straight with some resolve which had come to him.

"Scarlett, I..." he started before she interrupted him.

"That was hurtful of you to say to me. I know I haven't been a very good mother but I'm trying now. I'm here to make amends as best as I can. It may be too late but I'll be damned if I don't at least try!" she interjected strongly to show him she wasn't just going to lie down and die when he said something grossly out of line. The thought also occurred to her that if she told the truth about her feelings, rather than lashing out with an equally offensive remark, it could keep the argument from escalating. While she still wanted to spend time with him, she was not willing to do so if it meant incurring his wrath the whole time.

"Believe me Scarlett when I say I take nothing away from you coming here. In fact, it is an admirable move on your part. I did not intend to lash out at you and for that I am truly sorry. It is just more difficult having you here than I originally thought," he admitted to her. Interesting, she thought to herself with peaked intrigue. In exchange for one truth from me, I got one from him. Maybe our time together won't be so bad.

"Well, I'm still leaving tomorrow so I'll be out of your hair soon enough," she said pointedly at him. His cat comment still stung after the apology, which she accepted.

"I was meaning to talk to you about that. I know the status of our marriage is grim at best, but I don't want you to leave if it means jeopardizing a new connection between you and the children. You're welcome to stay as long you are working to build a relationship with them," he informed her.

"That won't be necessary. I already have my train ticket and anyway, I don't wish to wear out my welcome," she said distinctly aware of the fact that they were treading into hot water.

"There is no welcome to be worn out Mrs. Butler since I just invited you stay and I could buy you a thousand train tickets and still be a wealthy man. It deeply wounds me that you think my financials to be so precarious that I couldn't buy you one at a later date," he remarked teasingly. Remembering back to the financial statements she had found in his room, she knew that money to buy a train ticket, or anything for that matter, was not an issue. What was an issue though was that she had to leave tomorrow. Tomorrow was when she was going to start her new life in a place she had never been.

"Your offer is much appreciated but I really do have to leave tomorrow and go home," she replied, failing to mention that the home he was thinking of and the one she had in mind were completely different. She looked at his face and took note that his smirk immediately dissipated and was replaced by his all too familiar bland expression. From her experience earlier in the week of utilizing this very look, she knew his thoughts were far from the disinterest he was trying to convey.

"Suit yourself," he said dropping the conversation completely. Scarlett, not wanting to face another awkward tension, decided to ask a question which had just dawned on her.

"Rhett, where are we going?" she inquired hoping she could drop her belongings off wherever she was going to stay the night before she saw the children. Looking slightly confused about her question for a second, he answered her in a voice that was anything but confused. His ability to mask how he felt about anything was envied by many, including Scarlett.

"My house of course. You didn't honestly think that the only place we would have to keep up appearances was Atlanta did you?" he asked. Now that she thought about it, it did make sense that they would have to maintain some semblance of togetherness here as well, but he had never brought that side of the matter up. This admission did lighten her heart though knowing that they would be sleeping under the same roof tonight... and the same bed if she had anything to say about it.

"No, not really. I'm just more surprised since it was never discussed," Scarlett replied wondering if he had even thought about it before her arrival.

"It wasn't discussed because I didn't plan on you coming here so soon. I knew you would have to come eventually for Ella and Wade but I thought that would be further along the line," he said as he looked outside the carriage, or really in any direction but directly at her. As she was observing his face, the carriage came to a halt to signal that they had finally reached their destination. Rhett promptly got out of the carriage and held his hand out for Scarlett to take. She took his hand and stepped out. He continued to avoid her gaze and she could no longer stand it.

"Rhett?" she said to get his attention.

"Yes?" he replied continuing to look forward in the direction of a house which held no interest for her at the moment.

"Rhett?" she posed again hoping he would finally turn to her.

"What?" he said turning towards her with a slightly amused look on his face.

"I wanted to tell you that you look handsome today," she replied blushing slightly. Taking in the suit up close now she could fully appreciate the masterful tailoring of it. Rhett's fashion sense was as good as ever.

"Why thank you Scarlett. You look lovely today as well," he praised her before his eyes fell onto his present for the first time on her. "Do my eyes deceive me or is that..." he started but trailed off as his hand made its way towards her chest to touch the necklace before stopping short of doing so. He quickly pulled his hand back and reached into his inner-jacket pocket to take out a cheroot. His action was bizarre to say the least and Scarlett knew that he knew that as well. The awkward expression he briefly wore proved it. Scarlett started to wonder if Rhett was always so expressive with his body language and if she had just been too self-absorbed to notice it for all these years. She was reading him now as well as he had been able to read her all this time. Not wanting the moment to sour, she smiled up at him.

"Yes it is," she proclaimed gaily as she laid her own hand over the emerald sitting gently on her chest. "I absolutely adore it! It's so stunning I wear it with everything. Thank you."

"You're quite welcome," he replied while smoking his cheroot with a dazzling smile the likes of which she hadn't seen in years. "I must say, it turned out be everything I'd hoped it would be and more."

"What do you mean it turned out to be everything you'd hoped it would be?" she asked. This last statement didn't seem to make much sense to her. What could he possibly mean by that? she wondered.

"Nothing, let's take your things in," he said smoothing over the matter while taking her hand to lead her up the walkway. Before she could protest, she took in the sight of Rhett's house and gasped. It was a masterpiece if she had ever seen one.

The grand white house before her was in the antebellum style The Battery was known so well for. It was two stories tall and had magnificent pillars reaching from the ground to the roof. Porches lined the entire ground level as well as the second story. All of the windows, which were numerous, were outlined by green shutters. The green of the shutters was also the same green of the front door. There were trees everywhere and finely trimmed bushes lined the red brick walkway leading up to the house. If what Rhett was searching for in this world was decency and peace, this was the place that gave him the best chance to find it.

"Do you like it? I had to do some restoration work to return it to its old grandeur but I'm pleased with the results," he said looking hopefully towards her.

"It's beautiful darling," she replied still in awe of the place, not realizing the slip of the term of endearment.

"I'm glad you like it," he said with a smirk that she failed to notice as she continued to appreciate the house. He guided her through the front door and into a small, but tasteful foyer. She was about to take in the inside of this stunning house when they were interrupted by Clive.

"Is there anything I can get for either of you before I bring in Mrs. Butler's bags?" he inquired pleasantly.

"Do you need anything Scarlett?" Rhett asked her as she turned to face him. There was something about the look in his eyes that she couldn't quite place, but found mesmerizing.

"No," she stated simply as she continued to gaze into his eyes.

"Nothing for either of us," he replied to Clive not breaking eye contact with Scarlett. "Oh, and Clive?"

"Yes sir?" he asked.

"Please be sure to place Mrs. Butler's bags in the master bedroom," he said with a mischievous grin.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hope you all have a great holiday and a happy new year! Cheers!**

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Scarlett's ears failed to catch Clive's response to Rhett's request as she continued to look into his dark, dancing eyes. Could it really be that he has the same goal in mind for tonight, she wondered blushing at the possibility. He had resisted her when he last came to see her in Atlanta, so what could have possibly changed? That's when she noticed the humored, triumphant smirk sneak onto his face.

"You really think I'd let you slither back into my bed that easily?" he said much to Scarlett's dismay.

"Damn you!" she yelled at him as she pushed against his chest to get him as far away from her as possible as his booming laughter filled the foyer.

"Come now, Scarlett! I wasn't born yesterday. I knew that had to at least be a part of the reason you came barging into Charleston just a week after I so flagrantly denied your offer," he replied still laughing heartily at exposing Scarlett's ulterior motive for coming so easily.

"You're hateful!" she yelled at him with evident wounded pride. "So where am I actually sleeping you cad?"

"Where I said, the master bedroom," he stated with a smirk as if the answer were obvious.

"I don't understand," Scarlett replied confused by the arrangement.

"I'm going to be a gentleman for once in my life and allow you to have the biggest and best room in the house while I willingly exile myself to a guest bedroom," he told her as he puffed lazily on what was left of his cheroot.

"I don't need what I'm sure you see as chivalry. A guest bedroom will do just fine for me. Besides, I'm sure you'll hold it over my head if I accept it," she said venomously.

"Don't be such a child. You will accept the generous offer I have laid forth and you will do so willingly. Now, unless there is anything you need to do while we are here, we must be heading out to pick up Ella and Wade for the day," he informed her as he put the end of the cheroot in a glass ash collector.

"You're going with me?" she asked, her spirits picking up. She was going to spend the whole day with Rhett and the children and she could not be more excited. Knowing that he would be by her side when she visited with her children was encouraging; she desperately wanted his support today and she was happy that he was coming without her having to ask.

"Of course. This is my usual day to visit them anyway," he said and gauging her reaction he added gently, "I also thought you might want me there for support. If I'm mistaken, then I'm more than willing to stay behind while you visit with them."

"No, I'm happy you're coming. I must admit that I'm a little nervous, since I haven't seen them in so long. It would be comforting to have you there," Scarlett replied feeling naked being so honest with him.

"Good. Then I believe it is time for us to depart," he said as he held his hand out for her to take. She took his hand and they walked outside to see Clive waiting patiently next to the carriage. He had somehow managed to take her luggage into the house unnoticed during their small altercation.

"Is everything ready Clive?" Rhett asked as they approached the carriage.

"Yes Mr. Butler," he answered as he took his seat to take them to the children's schools. Rhett helped Scarlett into the carriage and they started down the street they had come in on. Scarlett's nerves were starting to get the best of her when Rhett spoke, distracting her from her thoughts of letting down her children again.

"There are a few things I should tell you before we get to Ella," he said after taking a deep breath.

"What about?" Scarlett asked interested in whatever he had to say.

"Ella doesn't call me Uncle Rhett anymore," Rhett replied with a note of trepidation in his voice that wasn't able to be masked by his outwardly confident tone.

"What do you mean she doesn't call you Uncle Rhett anymore?" she replied puzzled. Ella had always been particularly fond of him and she couldn't imagine her calling him something disrespectful. It would explain his nervousness about the matter though.

"Since I brought the children to Charleston for school, I have been spending a lot of time with them, together and separately. As the months went by, Ella became more and more curious as to why she had to call me Uncle Rhett when I'm not really her uncle. Long story short Scarlett, she asked permission from me to call me her father and I did not deny her. I really am the only father she has ever known and she has no one from his side of the family. If you are uncomfortable with her calling me that, I will ask her to stop, but I would prefer you didn't," he told her. While the way he told her this story was almost clinical, emotion was dripping with every word that he said. He wanted this as much as Ella did.

"Why would I mind that?" Scarlett asked with not often heard tenderness. "She adores you and I know of how much you care for her. I only had them call you that since they needed to have a title of respect for you and I didn't want to force the term father on them. Tell me, how do they both feel about it?"

"Ella took to it right when I gave her permission. She hasn't called me Uncle Rhett since," he replied with a smile."While legally she remains a Kennedy, I did expand on my rights as her guardian and enrolled her in the school under the name Ella Kennedy Butler. I did the same with Wade, with his permission of course, but I'm not sure which last name he uses. He still calls me Uncle Rhett, but there is the occasional slip of the tongue, which is very endearing."

Observing Rhett's face as he spoke of Ella and Wade, the admiration he held for his children was evident. He was doting on them as he always had, maybe even more so now and it was beautiful. On the surface, you would never guess that he would be such an attentive father that saw his children's well being as a mission statement. To call him a stepfather at this point would be utterly offensive.

"Can't say I'm surprised he would sometimes call you father. He's always gravitated towards you, even when he was young. I'm so glad they had you while I was... in dispose," she added in acknowledgement of her short comings and Rhett picking up the pieces in her absence. Oh how will my children ever forgive me, she wondered.

"They're my children too Scarlett; they're the only ones I have left. I didn't do what I did out of pity," he replied. The inadvertent mention of Bonnie stabbed at Scarlett's heart. Choosing not to focus on it, she continued.

"I know. I just want you to know that I appreciated it is all," she said. In all their time knowing each other, she rarely expressed any level of appreciation for anything he did and she decided that while she was with him, she would not hold back anymore. Rhett turned his body toward her and looked into her eyes with a penetrating gaze that would have caused Scarlett to crumble inside if it hadn't been for the twinkle in his eyes. He was trying to tell her something with his gaze, but whatever it was she wasn't able to figure it out since the stopping of the carriage told her that they had pulled up to Ella's school. Scarlett immediately felt a wave of panic, which caused a nauseous feeling to take over her body.

"Scarlett, look into my eyes. You're going to be fine. They always ask about you and I'm sure they'll be delighted to see you," he told her in response to seeing her swift, negative reaction to the carriage stopping. Her eyes widened in fear and all color left her face. He could swear he felt the panic radiating off of her and it worried him.

"Rhett what if they hate me? What if they don't want to see me? I've been so awful to them that they have every right to hate me. I would hate me if I were them!" she rambled at Rhett as her thoughts went into a violent downward spiral. All of her mistakes with her children started to play before her eyes and she felt a rare moment of self-loathing. She knew she wasn't the nicest person in the world and often made people go through hell with her actions and words, but the knowledge that she put young children, _her_ young children, through hell made her insides buckle.

"They don't hate you. Please darling, listen to me. They love you so much and I'm sure that they will be excited that you came to see them," he said soothingly to her in an attempt to break through the panic gripping her body. It was obvious she had slipped into a bad place and he needed to pull her out.

"Growing up I was always told that what you give is what you get. I've done so much bad that they could hate me forever and I would deserve it. You were right Rhett. I am so incredibly brutal to those who love me most, including my own children!" she told him. His final words to her had haunted her thoughts for months and now boiled to the surface of her current panic.

Occupied by her terror of losing the love of her children, she didn't see Rhett visibly blanch at the mention of his observation of how dangerous it was to love her, which he had told her before he left. Hearing it caused his self control to break, in part because of how angry he was at himself for being equal parts brutal to her as she was to him and never acknowledging it. He lunged at her and lightly shook her by her upper arms to get her to snap out of her agitated state. When she focused on him with a shocked expression he started speaking to her passionately, never letting go of her arms.

"Stop it Scarlett! Now is not the time to speak of what I said that day. You need to focus on putting on a good face for your children. I know you're scared but you can't be! They need to see the strong, resilient mother they know. I will not allow them to see you like this! Do you understand?" he said focusing on her face to see how she would react.

A wild array of emotions was playing through her as she looked into Rhett's eyes. His eyes reflected a sense of desperation to get her to come back to the present and to steel herself for what was to come. The way he spoke to her was reminiscent of the way he would talk to her when he was forcing her to see what she had done and its consequences. Today was judgment day and she needed to face her children with a brave face if she were to trudge forward with an attempt to become the caring mother she knew she needed to become. Though Rhett still had a firm hold on her arms, she steeled her shoulders and pulled her face into the bland expression he had taught her, which she was finding increasingly useful.

"I'm ready to see them," she insisted with a determination she scantily felt. She knew that while she provided the bare necessities for her children, things like food and shelter, she had failed miserably in the maternal department. My own children are scared to death of me, she thought with shame. The panic consuming me is well deserved. I need to feel what they felt for years so I never treat them so callously again.

At hearing her determination, Rhett released her from his grasp and helped her out of the carriage. Knowing that she had most likely not recovered fully, he kept his attention firmly on her as he walked her hand-in-hand into the school. Her deep breaths and the pounding of the artery in her neck betrayed her true state, but she kept her brave face steady. Admiration for her courage in the face of uncertainty swelled in his chest. If there was anything she wasn't, it was a coward.

"Ah, Captain Butler! Here for your usual visit I presume?" asked a tall, stern looking woman emerging from an office to Scarlett's right. The tight bun of gray hair on her head and her hard eyes told Scarlett that this was not a woman who took too much flack from her students. She was perfect to be running a girls boarding school.

"Yes, Headmistress Taylor, I am," he replied with a smile.

"Elizabeth," she called into her office as a woman of similar age and stature emerged."Could you please fetch Ella Butler? Her father is here."

"Yes Headmistress," she replied already making her way down a beautiful mahogany hallway. The mahogany paneling was also in the entrance way along with the school's crest hanging proudly on the wall in front of her. Carpets of cream and a massive stone fireplace with a lavish seating arrangement in front of it were the centerpieces of the room. From the entrance alone, it was easy to see that the school could only be afforded by those in the upper echelons of society.

"And who is this that you have brought along for your visit?" the headmistress inquired, carefully scrutinizing every detail of Scarlett.

"I apologize. I should have introduced you two sooner. Headmistress, this is Scarlett Butler, my wife. Scarlett, this is Headmistress Taylor," he said gesturing to the person he spoke of when introducing them. The woman before Scarlett made her feel as if she were at finishing school in Fayetteville all over again, which wasn't pleasant. They both nodded in acknowledgment to each other as the temperature between them seemed to shift. If Scarlett didn't know any better, she would think that this woman knew about the shaky nature of the relationship between her and Rhett. It was disconcerting that this woman seemed to be giving her best effort to see straight through her. When she was on verge of inquiring why she was staring at her so intently, a piercing scream broke her attention in time to feel a small person hugging her around her hips.

"Mama! You're here! You're really here!" Ella cried as she squeezed tighter. Scarlett bent down and embraced her tiny daughter with a fervor she had never shown. Ella was shaking out of excitement and this settled Scarlett's fears and allowed her to embrace the moment fully.

"Yes baby. I'm here," she cooed as she began running her fingers through her daughters long, reddish-brown hair. Pulling her in front of her, she was able to fully appreciate the beauty that she was becoming. Her daughter, whom she had regarded as silly and ugly, now had a face that resembled hers, with the exception of her features being more rounded and subtle. How did I miss this, she wondered to herself. Ella was staring back at her wide-eyed with anticipation and joy. It almost pushed Scarlett to tears.

"Pa promised you would come! Didn't you Pa!?" she shrilled at Rhett.

"Yes I did sweetheart," he beamed at her as she broke from Scarlett's embrace and jumped into his awaiting arms. Scarlett smiled at the sight of him picking her up in his arms and how they quickly exchanged kisses on the cheek. The love they had for one another was enviable, but she did not dwell on it. She was too happy to see how ecstatic Ella was at her visit.

"Are you going to spend the whole day with us Mother?" she asked hoping that "yes" was the answer.

"I certainly am. The whole day!" Scarlett replied enthusiastically. She took her daughter's hands in hers after Rhett set her down and kissed them. Feeling genuine affection towards her, no longer feigned, was so overwhelming to her that she couldn't help but she show her whatever affections came to her in the moment.

"Thank you for grabbing Ella for us. She will be back at the usual time," Rhett said to the headmistress, whom Scarlett had completely forgotten about when Ella came into the room.

"Enjoy your day," she replied swiftly exiting the entry hall and going back into her office.

"Are you two ready to leave?" Rhett asked smiling tenderly at Scarlett and Ella as they continued to hold hands.

"Yes Pa. Come Mother! We are going to have so much fun," Ella said as she pulled on Scarlett's hands leading her towards the door.

"I'm coming sweetheart! I'm coming," she replied laughing at her daughter's enthusiasm to start their day. Scarlett felt as if she were finally a whole person for the first time in months, maybe even years. All that was missing from this happy picture was her son, whom she couldn't wait to see.


	19. Chapter 19

Ella was positively overflowing with energy in the carriage and for once Scarlett found it entertaining rather than annoying. She was talking so fast and so animatedly that Scarlett was only able to pick up bits and pieces of what she was trying to tell her. From what she could gather, she had tons of new friends, was learning to read, and loved math. Those were the very things that Scarlett had enjoyed while in school, except for reading. She hated reading.

"Tell me about your friends sweetheart. What are their names?" Scarlett asked in an attempt to slow Ella down and focus her attention on one topic.

"Mother, Dana Whitely is my best friend in the whole world! She has long hair like me but hers is blonde and she has blue eyes! She wears pretty dresses too. She sleeps in the same room as me and she stays up late to talk to me..." and so went Ella's rant about her friend Dana. It was extremely difficult to pay attention to everything she was saying and from the smirk that Rhett was wearing, he was obviously getting a kick out of how frazzled Scarlett was. Though it was overwhelming, she was happy that she was even having this moment with her daughter, who was obviously overjoyed by her presence. How odd that I feel the same way, Scarlett thought with amusement.

"How much longer till we see Wade!? I want to see my brother!" she shrieked when she finished talking about her and Dana Whitely's adventures on the boarding school lands.

"Around twenty seconds," Rhett replied smiling while gesturing to a building just ahead of them. Seeing the school, Scarlett smiled knowing that she was about to see her son. Her elation, however, was watered down with an anxious feeling. While Ella took to her showing up well, Wade might not be so forgiving since he had endured far more from her. This was her true obstacle with coming here and she embraced the challenge. With this in mind, she put her hand on Rhett's shoulder to get his attention when the carriage stopped in front of the school.

"Rhett, I want to go get him, just by myself," she stated once he turned towards her. Her nervousness presented itself in her voice, but not as it had before she was about to see Ella. She needed a private moment with her son to see how he felt about her being here, she owed him that.

"Of course. I'll stay with Ella," he said seriously with a slight bow of his head. Getting out of the carriage, he took her hand to help her out and just before she was going to let it go to walk up to the school, she felt him tighten his grasp to prevent her from doing so. Scarlett turned to face him and saw the serious expression he wore. It immediately hit her that he was silently asking if she was going to be fine and she needed to reassure him of that. Squeezing his hand tighter in return, she gave a slight nod. He acknowledged it with a small nod of his own and let her go.

Walking into the school, the opulence of its entry way was reminiscent of Ella's school. I can't even begin to imagine what the tuition is here, she caught herself wondering. The dual staircases before her had wrought iron designs inside of it that were in the image of vines. The wood used on the staircase was a lovely light oak with the floors being a shade or two darker. It was very inviting.

"Is there some way I can help ma'am?" asked a man of about Rhett's age coming towards her. He was shorter than Rhett and not nearly as muscular, but he did carry himself with the same confident air.

"Yes, I'm Scarlett Butler and I'm here for my son Wade," she replied extending her hand into his awaiting one.

"Mrs. Butler, I was wondering when I would have the pleasure of meeting you; my name is Mr. George. I have heard a lot about you from your husband and son," he said with smile.

"Mr. George, you mustn't believe a word they say," she replied turning on her sweet Georgia charm which she seldom found a chance to use anymore.

"I promise to only believe the good things. If you will excuse me, I will go retrieve your son," he smiled at her, evidently taken by her charm, before he ascended the right staircase. Although it was only this one man, it still made her feel good knowing that she still possessed some charm. She started to wring her hands in nervousness when she heard voices from upstairs coming closer. Looking up, she saw Wade start to descend the left staircase by himself when he turned his head and froze in place.

"Mother?" he asked in disbelief. Wade was no longer the boy she remembered; he was now a young man. He was rather tall for his nearly thirteen years and no longer had a lanky appearance. He filled out his handsome black suit quite nicely and carried himself in a way that was unmistakably influenced by Rhett. His wavy hair shined like gold in the rays of sunlight flooding in through the windows and his chocolate brown eyes were that of a Hamilton. Scarlett was taking in every detail of his face which was starting to lose its effeminate characteristics to make him more handsome. She was proud knowing that when the time came, he would have no problem fetching a beautiful wife from a prominent family.

"Hello Wade," she replied with a friendly smile. She started to feel more nervous as he descended the rest of the staircase with a confused expression. Standing in front of her, she realized that he was nearly her height already.

"What are doing here?" he inquired with confusion still etched on his face.

"I came here to see you and your sister. I have missed you sweetheart," she said as she lifted her hand to his face to brush a lock of his hair behind his ear. Her heart started to feel heavy as he just continued to look at her as if she were an illusion, but she was pleased that he didn't flinch when she reached out to touch him; she was sure she would have died on the spot if he had.

"Where is Uncle Rhett?" he asked with something bordering on nervousness in his voice.

"He's outside in the carriage with Ella," Scarlett said with increasing fear. He'd prefer it was Rhett greeting him rather than me, she thought as a part of her started to feel as if it were sinking.

"He's here?" Wade asked as if he did not believe her.

"Yes," she replied wondering why that would be so perplexing.

"He's here, with you?" he continued.

"Yes," she responded pointedly.

"You're here together?" he inquired skeptically.

"Yes," was all she could respond. She had no idea how else to answer his questions.

"Mom," he replied with a dazzling smile as he sighed in relief and pulled her into his arms for a hug. Scarlett also sighed in relief when he embraced her. His reassuring smile when he took full stock of the situation alleviated her previous worries about having no chance of reconciling with him. Her son was not bitter, nor was he one to hold a grudge; traits that obviously were not inherited from her.

"Judging from the sight of you being here, I trust that you are in better health?" Wade asked now looking into Scarlett's eyes. He sounds so grown up, she thought to herself. Why is he sounding so formal with me?

"I am feeling much better," she replied sheepishly. The shame she felt from exposing her children to her alcoholism would likely never fade away, even with time.

"I'm glad to hear it. I must admit that I was upset last week when Uncle Rhett canceled his visit with me and Ella, but when I found out that it was to be with you I was happy," he said smiling. This comment sparked another fear inside of Scarlett that she had never anticipated. Please Lord, don't let them think that Rhett and I are getting back together, she prayed.

"Yes, it was good of him to come visit for my birthday," she said pleasantly.

"Birthday!?" he asked laughing. "Mother, I can never recall you ever celebrating your birthday. You would even tell us to be quiet if we asked about it! I didn't even know Uncle Rhett knew you had one!"

"Well, I do have one and he does know the date of it," Scarlett stated laughing at her son's carefree laughter. It was a relief to know that he at least could look back on some memories and laugh at them.

"Aunt Scarlett!?" asked a surprised voice that belonged to none other than Beau Wilkes, who was currently barreling down the left staircase at an alarming rate.

"Beau Wilkes," she replied and held out her arms to give him a hug. It had been so long since she had seen him and he looked much better than he did then.

"How have you been Aunt Scarlett?" Beau asked after he hugged her.

"Very good Beau. How have you been? Are you liking this school?" she inquired. She at least needed to know that he was doing alright here away from his family, but by the looks of things, he was thriving. Standing next to her Wade, it was without question that they were related. They both had the same colored hair and eyes; the only noticeable difference was that Beau was an inch or two shorter and still slightly lanky.

"I love it here. Wade and I have some classes together and I have been doing well with my studies," he told her with pride. Scarlett expected nothing less of Beau since his father's sole accomplishment in life was being an intellectual. Hopefully he has more to him than Ashley does, she thought. Melanie would certainly hope so.

"I'm so proud of you. In fact, I'm sure your father is too," Scarlett said wondering if he wrote his father often. From the look he got when she said it, she doubted it.

"Yes, my father is very proud," he said pleasantly but with little feeling. She couldn't help but wonder if some sort of rift had developed between them.

"Will you be coming with us for lunch?" she asked not knowing whether he spent time with Rhett and the children when he would pick them up or not.

"No, not this week. I still have some work to do. But please tell Uncle Rhett and Ella that I said hello," he replied with some sadness. Evidently Rhett would occasionally take Beau out as well and his sadness at not going showed he enjoyed those times.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but it was good seeing you Beau," Scarlett said to the young boy who looked so much like his deceased mother.

"It was good to see you too Aunt Scarlett. Good-bye," he said as he gave her a hug.

"Good-bye. Have a good rest of the day," she replied as he started walking up the stair after shaking Wade's hand in exit. Once he was out of sight, she turned back to her son.

"I'm glad to see your cousin is doing so well," she said to him hoping for further assurances.

"Uncle Ashley wasn't doing too well before he came here and Aunt India was smothering him. He couldn't thank Uncle Rhett enough when he convinced Uncle Ashley to let him come here," Wade said. Stupid India, Scarlett thought. Does that old maid not know how to leave people alone!?

"That does sound like your Aunt India," she replied snidely, evoking a laugh out of Wade.

"Sweetheart, would you mind escorting your dear mother out to the carriage?" she said sweetly to her son after he finished laughing.

"It would be my pleasure," he said laughing as he crooking his arm in an exaggerated fashion for her to take. Slinking her arm into his, she could not believe the luck she had when it came to having Wade not angry towards her. He, of course, had every right to be and because of this Scarlett vowed to never let him or his young sister down again. This was her second chance and she was not going to waste it.


	20. Chapter 20

_**A/N: Rather than keeping this in reserves for the next week or so, I figured I'd let you go into 2013 with it! Enjoy and Happy New Year!**_

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"You're doing it wrong!" shrilled Ella with laughter.

"I am not! I am a professional at playing pat-a-cake," Rhett humorously said in defense of himself.

After picking up Wade, they all headed back to Rhett's estate. A picnic had been set up for them in the backyard that included various sandwiches and corn chowder. Ella and Wade barely touched their food before they wanted to do various activities and neither she nor Rhett stopped them from doing so. Scarlett was currently sipping on lemonade and enjoying the spectacle Ella and Rhett made out of a simple game of pat-a-cake while Wade ran around flying his large colorful kite.

"Mother! Come fly a kite with me!" Wade yelled as he ran by her in an attempt to keep his kite in the air. Scarlett hadn't flown a kite since she was a girl and she decided that now was a good a time as any to try her hand at it again. Picking up Ella's pink kite that was lying nearby, she made her way towards Wade who was reigning his kite back in.

"Where do you want to fly them?" she asked him since he seemed to be looking around for a different spot.

"Follow me. There's something I want you to see and we can fly our kites there," he said excitedly sounding more like the boy she remembered rather than the young man she had encountered earlier.

"Lead the way," she replied following him towards the back of Rhett's estate towards a thick row of trees. She followed his path closely when she was immediately struck by the intensifying sea salt smell. The whole of Charleston smelled of sea salt since it was surrounded by water, but walking through the trees she knew the smell meant that they were getting closer to water. It took all of one minute to get through the trees when she was greeted by the Ashley River. Scarlett, like Rhett, had always adored being near water and it came as no surprise to her that his land would border on the Ashley.

"Look over there," he said pointing to his left and she saw along its path where the Ashley spilled into Charleston Harbor. It was a beautiful sight that she knew she could wake up to everyday and still revel in its tranquility.

"It's beautiful Wade. Do you come here often?" she asked walking toward him to stand by his side.

"Every time I'm here," he replied smiling. Looking at his face, Scarlett could not help but feel an overwhelming affection for her son. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, which seemed to surprise him deeply. Can't find that shocking, Scarlett thought bitterly. It's not as if you ever showed him much affection.

"I'm really happy you're here," Wade said to her. His genuine happiness at her being there warmed her heart.

"So am I," she replied. "You want to fly the kites here?"

"Oh yes! This is my favorite place to fly them!" he said gleefully as he launched his kite into the air to get caught by a gust of wind. Taking his cue, she launched hers as well and gasped in surprise when it was caught by a gust on her first try. Wade found her reaction amusing and started laughing. Scarlett could not recall hearing him laugh so much in his life and the sound of it was almost soothing.

"Mom, can I ask you something?" Wade piped up after they had flown their kites for a couple minutes in silence since they were doing their best to keep their kites afloat.

"Of course," she replied wondering what was bothering him.

"Does Uncle Ashley plan on coming to visit Beau?" he inquired. The tone he took alerted Scarlett that he was deeply concerned about this.

"To be completely honest Wade, I don't know. I saw him briefly before I came here but all I could gather was that he was happy Beau was here. Why do you ask?" she said wanting to get to the core of why he was worried.

"Because Beau misses him and the whole time he's been here he's only gotten one letter. He's starting to become angrier about it more than anything. If I may be so bold, Uncle Ashley has been a terrible father to Beau since Aunt Melly passed away! Why, Uncle Rhett has been a better father to me than Beau's own father has been to him!" Wade responded with such ferocity that Scarlett was taken aback by it.

"Wade Hampton Hamilton! You mustn't say such things about your Uncle Ashley!" she scolded, shocked at her son's audacity and anger.

"Why not!? He basically ignored Beau's existence before he came here and now that he's gone, he makes no attempt to communicate with him! He only wrote Beau back after God knows how many letters he sent!" he replied vehemently. This was obviously an issue that had been eating away at him and he was only now able to get it off his chest.

"Wade, please listen to me," Scarlett pleaded with her son, trying to calm him down. "Your Uncle Ashley is in mourning. I won't deny that he isn't handling it in the best way, but... I didn't handle it very well either."

"No Mother! You mustn't compare yourself to him. What happened to you was far different and you know it," Wade said now pleading with his mother.

"How was my situation different? When she passed away, I became negligent of you and your sister. I handled it just as bad, if not worse, than he did," she replied. She knew that she would have some explaining to do to her son about what had happened, but that didn't make it any less painful.

"Your situation was completely different! You had that bout where you got sick and almost died, Bonnie died and Aunt Melly soon followed, and you and Uncle Rhett... went your separate ways. You did the best that you could! We were still taken care of! Uncle Ashley did nothing for Beau!" he replied inflamed that his mother would compare herself to someone of such despicable behavior.

"Make no excuses for me, for I deserve none! I faltered in my responsibilities with you and that is part of the reason I am here. You deserve to know how sorry I am about what I did. No excuse is good enough. I want things to get better between us. I want to be the mother that you deserve but I have not provided thus yet," she said passionately to her son. Now was the time when she needed to get through to him the most.

"I would be lying if I said I didn't crave a closer connection to you, but that does not change what has happened with Beau. He misses his father so much and I hate how sad it makes him," Wade said as his anger broke and was replaced with such distress that Scarlett was certain he would start to cry.

"Sweetheart, come here," she said gently as she held her arms open to give him a hug. It was only then that she noticed both her and Wade's kites were lying on the ground, long unused. Wade slowly, but surely, made his way towards his mother and into her arms. When she embraced him, he returned the gesture and laid his head on her shoulder. She could feel his body trembling slightly and she knew it was him either crying or suppressing the desire to. Scarlett had always seen crying as a sign of weakness, in both men and women, but she knew this was different. Wade had been so strong for so long and it was only now that he could find a release in someone who would not judge him for it. Only once his body stopped trembling did she speak.

"Wade, would it make you feel better if I had a talk with Uncle Ashley? If I found a way to make him come visit Beau?" she asked. This would be no problem to Scarlett since his extreme negligence of Beau was infuriating to her.

"Would you Mother? I know it would make Beau very happy if you did!" he said pulling away from her to look into her eyes.

"I will. In fact, I will send him a letter tomorrow morning before I leave," she responded hoping he wouldn't challenge why she would send a letter rather than telling him in person since she was seemingly going home.

"Oh thank you! Beau will be so excited!" he exclaimed as he hugged her again.

"Now there is something that I need to ask you before we head back to lunch and I need your honest answer, yes?" Scarlett posed to her son.

"Yes, anything," he replied looking into her eyes.

"Are you happy here? I mean, truly happy," she asked. At this moment, Scarlett desired nothing more than to see her son happy. Charleston provided a safe place for him to find stability in a prestigious school, but if he was even the slightest bit unhappy she would not hesitate to cancel her move to California in order to plan for him and Ella to come with her. She would simply find a way to deal with Rhett about it later, but judging from his reaction that would not prove to be necessary.

"Yes," he responded without hesitation. "I love it here and so does Ella. Why do you ask? You weren't wanting me and Ella to come back to Atlanta were you?" he finished with slight nervousness in his voice.

"No no, nothing like that. It's just that, well, I don't plan on going back to Atlanta. I'm moving somewhere new, away from everything that has caused me distress and if you weren't happy, I was going to bring you along," Scarlett said as she waited to see his reaction to the news. At first, he didn't seem to react, but then a small smile crept on to his face.

"Where are you going?" he asked curiously.

Scarlett hesitated, not knowing whether or not he would tell Rhett, but he did deserve to know where she was going. "California," she said.

"California!?" he asked surprised and amused. "Isn't that where Uncle Rhett struck gold?"

"Yes," she laughed. "I knew I wanted to go somewhere new and exciting and it seemed to fit the bill well."

"I would say! Does he... know?" Wade questioned.

"No," she replied shortly. "I'm sure you wish were still together, but it just wouldn't work. I don't want him to know either. Can you keep it a secret, just between you and me?"

"I would never break your confidence," he strongly replied. "But, does this mean Ella and I will no longer see you?"

"Absolutely not! I plan to visit often and I will always send you letters, I promise. And if there is anything you need or you want me to visit for a certain day, do not hesitate to write me so. Just be sure to send your and Ella's letters to Uncle Henry and he can forward them to me wherever I am at," she said as she held her son's hands. He continued to smile the whole time and she couldn't figure out why, until he answered her.

"Good. I just want you to be as happy as I am here. Moving out of Atlanta was the best thing to happen to me in awhile. You do promise to be happy there right?" he questioned. Her son's unwavering support of her was overwhelming and she felt tears threatening to fall.

"Yes, I do promise to be happy there," she responded as a tear fell down her face and she quickly wiped it away, slightly flustered. "Are you ready to go back for the rest of lunch Wade?"

"I am," Wade replied. He went to pick up both abandoned kites and then made his way back over to his mother's side. When back at her side, he crooked his arm again in the same exaggerated fashion he had done earlier in the day to escort her back to the picnic area. Scarlett laughed again at his gesture and took his arm. Making their way back through the thick row of trees, they started to hear Ella's unceasing laughter.

"That girl certainly has a set of lungs on her," Scarlett laughed with Wade joining her. Emerging from the trees, they were greeted by one of the most amusing sights she had ever seen. Ella had evidently stolen Rhett's jacket and tied it around her as if it were a cape. She was doing her best to run away from Rhett, who was in hot pursuit of her and catching up fast because his legs were much longer than hers.

"NOOO!" screamed Ella in laughter and defeat when Rhett had caught up to her to lifted her in the air.

"I win again!" he said laughing as she started to shift her body around in his arms and onto his back for a piggyback ride.

"Father, over there!" she screamed pointing in Scarlett and Wade's direction. "Take me to Mother and Wade!"

"Your wish is my command," Rhett said as they started to make their way toward Scarlett and Wade. Rhett was smiling and looked happy to see the closeness that Scarlett and Wade were sharing. On their approach, Ella stuck her arms out for Scarlett take, which she did. Ella slinked off Rhett's back and into her arms, but Scarlett was not able to hold her up for long. Even though Ella was small, it didn't change the fact that Scarlett had little physical strength.

"Oh goodness Ella! You're just too big for me to hold up now!" she laughed when she set her down.

"That's because I'm a big girl and I'm growing so I can be a woman some day," she said with determination.

"I don't care how old you are, you will always be my little girl," Scarlett replied. Ella was already getting big and the thought of her growing older and not being as carefree and silly as she was now caused Scarlett an unexpected stab of pain. Before she could think beyond this, Ella grabbed her hand and started to lead her towards the picnic area to finish eating. Rhett and Wade followed them over and started to make their way through the picnic. It was largely uneventful until Ella dropped a bombshell.

"Mother, there is a girl at school named Madeline who is very mean to me," she piped up after finishing a sandwich.

"She's mean to you? How?" she asked knowing how mean girls can be from her days at the academy in Fayetteville.

"She said that you and Daddy no longer live together because you don't love each other anymore and that you're going to get a divorce. I told her she was a liar and that you two didn't live together anymore because you had business in Atlanta and he had business here but she didn't believe me!" she said with distress that still didn't distract from her desire to eat a dessert sandwich.

Scarlett's eyes widened and her blood ran cold at the mention of lost love and divorce. It was one thing to have rumors follow her around Atlanta but it was another to have them follow her children to Charleston. While Ella of course wanted an answer, she could feel Rhett and Wade's eyes burrowing into her to hear her response. She couldn't possibly tell the children now that she had filed for divorce so she had to come up with an answer quick. Besides, she told herself, if Rhett loved me he would have immediately interjected a response. His love for me truly is gone.

"I still love your father very much Ella and next time that nasty girl says something like that, you tell her to go to the devil," she said with a little drama to make it seem like it was something to not be taken seriously.

"I can't say something like that!" she said laughing about her mom's over the top comment. Her answer seemed to do the trick because Wade also laughed. She smiled as well but it quickly vanished when she saw an expression cross Rhett's face that was so fleeting she almost missed it. It was a cross between anger, confusion, and realization; which role took higher prominence in it she would never know. Rhett quickly regained his signature bland expression, but his eyes continued to search her face for an answer to a question that was never asked.

"Will you be dropping Ella and I off at school before dinner with your mother... Father?" Wade asked interrupting Scarlett's attempts to avoid Rhett's cold, piercing gaze. Scarlett was taken aback by two parts of his question: First and foremost, was the potential that she would be seeing Rhett's mother tonight for dinner. Secondly, when he called him Father, it was not a slip of the tongue, but a conscious effort. She wondered if it was perhaps influenced by his revelation during their talk that Rhett was a better father figure than Ashley was to Beau. Gaining the courage to look at Rhett because of Wade's question, she noticed surprise flitter across his face as well before being drowned by a glorious smile.

"Yes son, I will be dropping you off, but I'm afraid your mother will have to take her depart of you here since she will have to get ready for dinner," he replied. "Now why don't you two go get anything you might need for the next few days so we can head back to your schools."

At this, Ella and Wade both stood up from their spots and headed into the house to gather whatever they wanted. This left Scarlett and Rhett alone for the first time today since the carriage ride to Ella's school. Rhett was the one to break the silence.

"I apologize that you had to find out about tonight's dinner plans like that. I meant to tell you before we got Ella but your nervousness took priority. My mother found out that you were coming and insisted on everyone coming to dinner to see you," he informed her.

"What the devil do you mean by everyone? It's not just your mother coming?" she asked with rising anxiety. Haven't I had enough surprises for one day, she thought wearily.

"Everyone as in my mother, sister, brother and his wife. Now Scarlett, do try to dress conservatively. I know that doesn't come naturally to you so just be sure to wear whatever dress in your collection is of the least offensive color," he replied snidely.

"Why bother? I'm sure you have already spoiled what little opinion your mother had of me," she snapped back, angry that he was provoking her.

"I would never do such a thing. If her opinion of you spoils, my pet, that will be all of your doing," Rhett taunted her.

"If you continue to be this nasty to me in front of her, I'm afraid that her opinion of you will spoil faster than mine," Scarlett bit back unable to control herself.

"Mother, will you come visit again soon?" Ella asked as she came back into the backyard, effectively halting Scarlett and Rhett's argument.

"Yes dear and I promise to write you so send me lots of letters!" she said embracing her daughter.

"I will! I love you," she said earnestly into her eyes.

"I love you too Ella. Always," Scarlett said in return meaning every word. After a kiss on the cheek, Ella ran up to the front of the house to wait at the carriage.

"Thank you for coming to see us Mom. And thank you ahead of time for talking to Uncle Ashley for Beau. I'm going to tell him about it straight away," Wade said coming up to her to say his good-byes.

"It's no trouble at all. I love you sweetheart and do remember to write me," she insisted.

"I promise I will. I love you too," he said giving her an embrace before going to join his sister at the carriage up front, leaving Scarlett and Rhett alone yet again. Neither of them moved from their spots until Rhett broke the silence again.

"You know Scarlett, when Wade called me Father that hardly sounded like a slip of the tongue?" Rhett posed as a question rather than a statement. His eyes were probing her for an answer to his question, wondering if she had something to do with it or knew why.

"Yes Rhett, I believe you're right. In fact, it sounded quite deliberate," Scarlett said innocently. He continued to look at her questioningly for a few seconds before his expression changed to one of amusement. With a smile on his face, he gave her a full bow and silently made his way to the carriage to take the children back to school. Once alone, she took in a deep breath before making her way into the house to get ready for dinner with the Butlers.


	21. Chapter 21

After having Clive retrieve writing utensils for her from Rhett's study, she made her way upstairs to the master bedroom to write a letter to Ashley about Beau before getting ready for dinner. Scarlett couldn't help but think about how ashamed Melanie would be of his treatment of Beau. It was no longer a wonder to her why Beau reacted the way he did when he saw her; he either thought Ashley would be with her or he was just excited that at least Wade's errant parent made an appearance and it gave him hope. Whatever his exact reason was to seeing her, she didn't care. Now was the time for action to help her defenseless nephew on behalf of her dearly departed friend.

Opening the door to the master bedroom, Scarlett was momentarily stunned by the sight before her. The room was set in the far left corner of the house, so two of the walls were practically made of windows. Natural light flooded the room, giving it a palatial feel. It highlighted the sprawling plaster design on the ceiling which, judging by how white and clean it was, had been a part of Rhett's restoration efforts. A charming seating area had been set up near the far wall, allowing whoever sat there a premium view of the Ashley River and of Charleston Harbor in the distance. The book of Greek mythology on the small seating table made Scarlett contemplate if Rhett spent a good portion of his time in here. She knew she would if she lived here. Using Rhett's book as a flat surface, she began to write her letter to Ashley in the seating area.

_Ashley,_

_I arrived in Charleston today for a visit with my children, as well as Beau. During my visit, it was brought to my attention that you have been neglecting your duties as a father. Although I recognize that you are in mourning, your treatment of Beau is shameful. _

_Within the next week, I expect you to come to Charleston for a visit with your son; no excuses. If you fail to do so, I will not hesitate to file legal papers to claim Beau as my ward, in accordance with Melanie's last wishes that I watch over him._

_He is expecting you, do not disappoint him._

_Scarlett_

Even with all the self control in the world, Scarlett would not have been able to keep her anger at Ashley in check while writing the letter. He was a disgrace to Melanie's name and when she put pen to paper, all of her negative feelings toward Ashley reared their angry heads and it showed with the language of the letter. The threat to claim Beau as her own was not a bluff; unless Ashley took some action soon to show he was a father, there was no point to him having the title. Scarlett knew she had been harsh, but it caused her no hesitation. He's lucky I even gave him a week, she thought with unbridled fury towards her former love.

It never ceased to amaze Scarlett how much she loathed Ashley once the rose colored glasses of love had been stripped away. He was so incredibly weak that she was able to walk all over him with little to no effort. Ashley's weak body and weaker mind allowed no room for gumption and that was unforgivable in this day and age. She knew now that her love for him was not directed toward the person he was, rather it was directed toward the person he represented. He was the epitome of what a Southern gentleman was and Scarlett craved a return to those days more than she would have ever admitted until she realized the error in her affections.

During those dark, hungry months at Tara she had allowed her mind to wander to thoughts of Ashley and what he meant to her. He always represented an odd paradox to her during the few hours she devoted to trying to sleep, but her drunken lulling had prevented. While she adamantly told herself that she was in love with him, upon further inspection she found that she did not like him. He was useless at working the fields, he moseyed around when he thought no one was watching, and he would go on ridiculous poetic rants at the slightest mention of the old days. Men like Ashley felt that they were honorable in their refusal to bend to the will of this cruel new world, but in truth it only made them spineless. It was spineless men like him that were allowed to retain their honor by standing on the shoulders and backs of those willing to adapt, people like her and Rhett.

After her anger at Rhett abandoning her for the Confederate Army softened, she allowed herself to think of him as well. He was a cad, an opportunist, and a rogue and yet she inexplicably liked him. Rhett was the only man who had ever been able to challenge her and deep down, she permitted herself to admit she admired him. The very things which Ashley defended with tooth and nail were the things Rhett didn't have a care in the world for. His uncaring disregard for social conventions and restraints made him the successful, thriving man that he was and that was the reason people hated him. If he had disregarded social conventions and been unsuccessful, those of the Old Guard might have taken pity on him and chalked up his behavior to be a result of the war. The fact that he was successful and thriving _because_ of his disregard for social constraint is what made his existence infuriating and unbearable to those who were suffering and clinging to old, dead ways.

When times were especially harsh at Tara, she always secretly hoped Rhett would come riding in on his large black horse and take her away from everything, or at the very least find a way to make her laugh. It had been so long since she had laughed and he always seemed to find a way to force her to forget about the world so she could. His ability to make her do this was one of the reasons she loved when he would come visit her during the war. Sure, she loved the presents he would bring her, but his carefree nature is what she most enjoyed. She could recall with ease how flustered and excited she would feel when she looked out a window and saw that it was Rhett who was coming to see her. Every time she thought about that reaction, she always denied that it was an indicator of a deeper feeling towards him out of respect for her love for Ashley. After all, she repeatedly told herself, it's impossible to love two men at once. Little did she know then, this train of thought would ultimately be her downfall.

If only I had realized what I felt for Rhett during my time at Tara, we would all be so much happier, she thought weakly. Tara, her sweet Tara. The day after Rhett had left her, she had almost boarded a train to her beloved plantation when something stopped her. The last time she had been there, the ghosts of her parents and the Yankee she killed followed her. Not real ghosts, Scarlett did not believe in such absurd things, but it was as if their prescience was constantly weighing down on her. Tara no longer held the majesty for her that it once did and the last thing she needed was to add the ghosts of Bonnie, her miscarried child, Melanie, and her dead marriage to the already crowded house. Not to mention her bitter sister Suellen and her bratty children would stifle any progress she might make. Will Benteen would be a welcome prescience, she felt she could talk to him about anything without judgment, but it wasn't enough to get her to board the train. It was the first time in her life where she found herself without a place she considered home.

Keep thinking about the past Scarlett and you'll turn into Ashley, she told herself to come back to the present. The sun was getting ready to set and she knew that meant that the Butlers would be arriving soon. Time had gotten away from her and now she would have to rush getting ready. She was lucky that her chignon was still presentable or she would never be ready in time. Looking at her face in the mirror of the vanity, she was pleased to see that color was returning to her, but the effects of the abuse she had put herself through were still evident. The area around her eyes was still a little puffy and her cheeks shallowness added to the sharpness of her features. Taking her rouge out of a bag, she added just a dab of it on the apples of her cheeks to give added color and distract from the shallowness. She tucked back in the few stray hairs she had before consulting her luggage for a decent dress.

"Oh hell," she said quietly to herself when she realized that she was going to have to wear a corset to look presentable to the Butlers in an evening dress. Although it would still be ill fitting because of her new size, it would be the only way she could get her breasts to be ample enough to fill out the chest of any of her dresses. The sacrifice was worth it though; there was no way she was going to give his family further ammunition to criticize her appearance.

Scarlett could only recall meeting Celine Butler, Rhett's mother, once during the course of her and Rhett's five year marriage. It had been during the day of and after Bonnie's funeral. She was an older woman, but she carried herself with the grace of someone half her age. Her skin was in remarkable condition; her sun-touched skin was marred by only a few wrinkles around her dark hazel eyes and her mouth. Rather than adding to her age, her pure white hair added to her regal appearance. She was slightly taller than most ladies, but it was noted by Scarlett that it most likely didn't distract potential beaux when she was young because even now she was intensely beautiful. Celine Butler was the epitome of what all well-bred women hoped to look like as they aged.

Celine had arrived at the house alone a couple of hours before the funeral and had immediately gone to comfort Rhett in his room. Scarlett could recall being happy that she had arrived because Rhett loved her a great deal and would hopefully find some solace in her. About half an hour before the funeral, she had knocked on her door to come in and comfort her as well. It was awkward to both of them that they were introducing themselves for the first time and then doing something as personal as going to a funeral together within an hour. Through the conversations both Scarlett and Rhett had with Celine, they were able to forge a sort of unspoken treaty with each other to go to the funeral as a unified front, tied together in the sorrow both felt for their deceased daughter. In the end though, Scarlett gravitated more towards Melanie for support and Rhett towards his mother. When Celine left the next day, she bid Scarlett farewell and hinted to her that Rhett needing her more than he would ever admit. Her manners were impeccable, but it was apparent that she found her and Rhett's behavior towards each other to be deplorable and it was equally apparent that it saddened her to no end. It was with her departure that the unspoken treaty crumbled along with the rest of their marriage.

Scarlett now found herself hoping that Celine would be as warm and caring as she had been that day now. She reminded her so much of her own mother that if Celine were to be angry or bitter towards her, it would hurt just as much as it would if it were her own mother that she upset. A knock on the door interrupted Scarlett's trip on memory lane.

"Mrs. Butler?" came Clive's voice through the door.

"Yes?" she called back.

"Mr. Butler wants to know if you require his help getting ready," he informed her. One look at the dreaded corset lying in front of her told her the answer to that question.

"Please tell Mr. Butler that I do need his help," she replied nervously. She had no way to know how he was going to treat her once he came in the room. His mood had been mercurial towards her all day. No more than a minute later, three taps on the door and the knob turning alerted her that he was coming in.

"Mrs. Butler, I am at your service," he said humorously entering the room with an exaggerated bow, which extracted a small giggle from her. He had already changed into a black evening suit and cleaned up the rest of his appearance.

"I need your help getting into the corset," she said to him. Her statement served no purpose though because he had already started to cross the room to her and picked up her corset.

"Enjoying the view?" he asked as he started to help her into the corset.

"Yes, it's lovely. Wade showed it to me earlier when he wanted to fly his kite right on the shore of the Ashley," she replied as she continued to look out the window.

"Speaking of Wade, what is it that he wants you to talk to the honorable Mr. Wilkes about?" he questioned. While his voice remained steady, his deft hands pulled far too harshly on her laces when he mentioned Ashley, which Scarlett chose to ignore.

"I saw Beau when I got Wade and I noticed that he didn't like when his father was mentioned. Wade told me by the river that Beau has desperately tried to communicate with his father and all he's gotten is a letter. One letter! So I'm going to find a way to force him to come and see Beau. Melanie would be furious with him for acting like such a damn fool," Scarlett answered angrily.

"Acting a fool is hardly out of his character, Scarlett," he replied with thinly veiled malevolence. She had no idea how to reply since a statement either way could be a trap with him. Mercifully, the silence between them didn't last long.

"No comment about how it is indecent for me to know how to lace up a corset? I must say I'm shocked," he said lightly as he was finishing up her lacings.

"There are a great many indecent things you know about Rhett Butler; this probably being the least of them," she replied with feigned coyness.

"Touché," Rhett said chuckling. He finished up her lacings and it didn't go unnoticed by either of them that there had been barely any effort in tying her into it. She was about to turn around when his powerful hands clasped around her waist. Neither of them would be able to tell how much time elapsed with them standing there with his hands on her waist before he spoke.

"You're so small," he said almost too quietly for her to hear. With that, he dropped his hands and Scarlett spun around on the spot to face him. He was looking down at her with a blank stare but there was something brewing below the surface that she couldn't place. Rhett took in a deep breath then and fixed a smirk on his face that did not reach his eyes.

"Do you need help into your dress?" he asked casually.

"Please," she replied. Rhett picked up her dress that she had laid on top of her luggage and she saw a genuine smile spread across his face.

"It seems you have provided another shock to my system Scarlett," he said mockingly to her as he held the dress. It was a dark green velvet dress with mint colored accents on it. Scarlett chose it because it went perfectly with her emerald necklace from Rhett.

"And what's that?" she asked knowing that whatever the answer was, it would be delivered in a sarcastic fashion.

"This dress is perfectly acceptable," he said with mock shock. Scarlett glared at him in return and stuck her tongue out.

"Arms up," he said laughing as he started to put her dress on and then smoothing and adjusting it into place.

"Are you ready to go down stairs?" he asked as she was looking in the mirror to judge her appearance.

"Not yet. I'll be down in five minutes," she replied to him. He started to make his way towards the door and when he opened it to leave, he turned around to face her.

"Till we meet again Mrs. Butler," he said in a tone which suggested something indecent had occurred before another exaggerated bow and he left the room. Scarlett couldn't help but laugh at his playful nature and hoped it would last the rest of the day.


	22. House of Butlers

_**A/N: I just wanted to take this time to thank all of you for reading my FF and and leaving your encouraging reviews, especially those from my regulars! They are always appreciated and are so encouraging. You all are amazing :)**_

_**Now I bring to you a chapter so pivotal to our story, that I felt it deserved a title. I now bring to you:  
**_

**Chapter 22: House of Butlers  
**

Appraising herself in the mirror, Scarlett was pleasantly surprised by how flattering her green dress was. It was the boost of confidence that she needed to face the Butler family and feel that her recent indiscretions were not on display. She always wanted to look beautiful when meeting new people, but these weren't just new people. They were family, at least for now, and she wanted to impress them.

Scarlett always had a healthy dose of curiosity when it came to the Butlers. The family dynamics that were at work between all of them was fascinating to her, but when she would pry for more than the scant amount of details Rhett provided, he always shot her down with a glare or a kiss, depending on his mood. It was exhilarating that she was finally going to meet them in the flesh today, however unexpected the occasion was.

From what she was able to gather over the years, Scarlett only knew for certain that Rhett loved his mother. Celine was a pillar of strength to him and the years when they had been unable to communicate freely with each other were difficult for him. Her compassion was unbounded and her ability to calm all those around her were almost legend to Scarlett simply because of the way Rhett spoke of it. Rhett's father was another story.

Octavius Butler was a hard-nosed man who ruled over his family with an iron fist. Judging only from the few comments Rhett had made about the man, their relationship was contentious on the best of days and blossomed into full hatred on the worst. Octavius had attempted to literally beat the rebelliousness out of Rhett and in doing so had only made it worse. The duel combined with his expulsion from West Point led him to disowning Rhett, driving the final wedge between them. It was because of Octavius that Rhett was not allowed to speak to his mother for years and Scarlett was certain that Rhett had never forgiven his father for this, even now when he was long dead.

Where Rhett rebelled against his father, his younger brother Lucius succumbed to his will. Lucius was, for all intents and purposes, a carbon copy of his father. He owned a rice plantation, controlled his wife and children's every move, and had only started to acknowledge Rhett's existence again at the insistence of their mother after Octavius had died. Although Rhett never answered her when she asked, she suspected that Lucius was envious of Rhett's success. He had walked in the footsteps of his father and gained a healthy amount of respect and wealth, but it was nothing compared to the formidable fortune and power Rhett had amassed and everyone knew it, especially Lucius. All Scarlett knew of his wife Lorraine was that Rhett did not care for her. She wondered if it was because she was mean spirited like Lucius, or if he simply had such little interaction with her that he had no time to form a solid opinion of her.

Rosemary, Rhett's younger sister, was the baby of the family and treated as such. Both Celine and Octavius doted on her and much to their dismay she had the same rebellious streak as Rhett once she got older. Octavius' best attempts to marry her into the well-to-do Davenport family were thwarted when she ran off and married Vincent Powell, the son of a wealthy banker whom she had fallen in love with against her father's wishes. The couple traveled around Europe for several years until he caught a bad case of tuberculosis and passed away. Their union had only produced one child, a son, whom Scarlett could recall being named after his father. After Vincent had passed away, Rosemary came back to Charleston to raise her son and to settle down. To date, she had refused any advances from potential suitors and had put her foot down to the suggestion of ever remarrying. Scarlett held a great deal of respect for her stance now because knowing Rhett was her one true love, there was no point to remarrying. Her heart would always be with Rhett, whether he desired it or not.

In short, Scarlett knew Rhett loved his mother, hated his father, adored his sister, and more often than not despised his brother. It was bound to be an interesting evening with the soon to be arriving Butlers and Scarlett was more than a little excited to see how it would all unravel. Taking stock of her appearance once more, she made her way downstairs in search of Rhett, whom she found standing with his back to her in the parlor.

"Rhett," she said to announce her prescience. He turned his head slightly to notice her out of the corner of his eye and then turned it back. She thought he was ignoring her until he knocked his head back and she noticed a shot glass in his hand.

"Drinking alone before your family comes?" she asked wondering why he would do such a thing.

"I told _you_ that you shouldn't drink alone because you were a woman with a salvageable reputation. I am a man with a reputation in such disrepair that it no longer matters," he replied laughing at her purposeful choice of words.

"That wasn't the heart of what I asked," she said. "Why are you drinking already?"

"Because I know my family. You'd be drinking too if you did," he said with the last sentence only registering above a whisper, most likely remembering her drinking problem.

"I don't understand. I thought you carried on just fine with your mother and sister?" she questioned.

"Then by the laws of deduction Mrs. Butler, you should be able to surmise the source of my uncouth drinking," he replied mockingly.

"Just because Lucius is coming doesn't mean it will be an unpleasant affair," she snapped back in defense of herself.

"You only say that because you've never encountered him. The miserable bastard is capable of sucking the life out of any room, no matter who the company may be," he said still not looking at her.

"Why is he invited then?" she continued choosing to ignore his language.

"My mother invited him. Surely you don't expect me to revoke an invitation which I did not give?" he replied with mock horror turning to face her.

"Why would your mother do such a thing knowing how you feel about him?" Scarlett asked with piquing interest.

"Mother desperately wants us to form a brotherly bond of some sort. She most likely figures that since we haven't seen each other in years, everything must have simmered down to where we could be civil to one another. Leave it to her to fail to notice _why_ we have made a concerted effort to do so," he remarked bitterly leaning against the massive marble fireplace.

"Is there really no way for you two to get along?" she pried.

"Would you like for me to invite Suellen to the next family gathering?" he replied sarcastically. She got the point, but rather than taking his bait she decided to play into his sarcasm.

"Oh sure! That sounds like loads of fun. I imagine her and Lucius would get along like peas and carrots," she said cloyingly. Luckily, she got the response she wanted from Rhett because he started laughing heartily. Their moment was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Looks like it's too late to cancel," he said to her after taking a deep breath. He approached her to put his hand lightly on her shoulder and guided her towards the entrance of the parlor. Giving her one last glance, he crossed the foyer and opened the door.

"Hello Mother," Rhett said sweetly as he embraced her at the door.

"Son," Celine Butler said gently as she kissed his cheek. After she kissed him, she turned her attention to Scarlett.

Scarlett suddenly felt a twinge of embarrassment. Celine looked so beautiful and regal standing before her and she wasn't sure she deserved to be in her prescience. She was going to be putting on an act for her, an act that her and Rhett were still happily married when she had in fact filed for divorce because their marriage was done. Scarlett would make no campaign for his heart; no, she would not force him to suffer further at her hands. It had been disintegrating for years and finally dissolved under the weight of her selfishness and self-absorption. Rhett no longer loved her, no longer desired her prescience, and no longer had any extreme emotion for her. All he now felt was kindness and she was now experiencing the unrequited love he felt for years. Oh, how the tables have turned.

"Scarlett," Celine said with enough affection to cause Scarlett to crumble a little inside. The embrace of her mother-in-law almost tipped her over the edge.

"Mrs. Butler," she replied with the same affectionate tone that she had reserved only for her mother and Pa.

"Oh Scarlett, that won't be necessary," she said kindly. "There will be far too many Mrs. Butlers in this house tonight. Please, call me Celine."

"Celine," Scarlett corrected herself with a smile.

"Mother, would you like something to drink?" Rhett interrupted.

"Water please," Celine replied.

"Scarlett?" he asked turning towards her.

"Tea please," she said knowing she would need something to quench her now dry mouth. Rhett then escorted them into the parlor, took a slight bow, and left to get the drinks. It was curious to Scarlett that he would not have Clive do this, especially with his mother here, but she appreciated having the time alone with Celine nonetheless.

"How has business in Atlanta been Scarlett? It must have been terribly busy to keep you from visiting for so long," Celine piped in. Normally Scarlett would assume a question phrased like this was intended as a jab, but looking at Celine, Scarlett saw nothing but pleasant curiosity.

"Very busy indeed. With rebuilding in full force and people moving into the city, business continues to rise. There are times when I even have trouble just keeping the shelves stocked," she replied knowing full well she hadn't been to the store in months. It was still technically the truth. The store was making her a hefty income and it was in good hands with Hugh Elsing. She had looked at the books occasionally and saw no cause for worry. There was no need to tell Celine about the saloon she leased out to though since all it did was make her profit and she did not own the saloon itself; not to mention that Celine would most likely be horrified.

"I'm happy to hear that. I must admit that I have always held a particular fascination for women who ventured into business and I guess Rhett inherited that," Celine said in a tone that suggested she had just revealed a secret. Not many women would ever admit to even knowing a business woman and here she was admitting she found them fascinating. This was quite endearing to Scarlett and she smiled warmly.

"Sounds like you taught him well. He has always been very understanding of my being in business, even encouraging at times," she replied revealing a secret of her own. She could see Celine visibly relax knowing that her secret was safe having heard one in return and she laughed.

"Suppose I have! I hope you don't mind my prying, but have you ever thought of opening a branch of your store here in Charleston? I know how much Rhett has missed you over the past couple of months and I know that he, as well as I, would enjoy having you around more," Celine said innocently enough not knowing the implications of her statement. So Rhett is making me pay for not wanting a divorce by sounding like a lovesick husband who misses his wayward, businesswoman wife, she thought with some anger. I suppose I am the villain in this story though. After all, if I had just granted him that damn divorce six months ago this charade would have never needed to happen.

As Scarlett was about to reply, Rhett walked into the room with her and Celine's drinks on a charming silver tea serving tray. He set the tray down on the table between them and moved aside.

"Thank you, Rhett," Scarlett said as she reached for her tea.

"Yes, thank you," Celine thanked as well before taking a sip of her water.

"It was my pleasure," Rhett replied, manners firmly on display. He then took a seat next to Scarlett on the couch and slinked his arm around her to rest on the back of the couch. It was the perfect way for him to sit in the situation; he did not have to physically touch Scarlett but it still showed possession to the outside world.

"To answer your question Celine, I have considered opening a store here, but I'm not sure it would work. I think a part of the reason my store is so successful is because of the amount of rebuilding that is happening in Atlanta versus here. I do wish you and I had more time together though," she replied earnestly to Celine. She would love to spend more time with the woman, perhaps she could on visits to her children, but she knew that wasn't what Celine meant. Scarlett could sense Rhett's eyes boring into her but she did not dare make eye contact with him knowing he might see the truth in her eyes.

"I never thought of it that way. Explains why I'm not in business and you are! By the way, how were Wade and Ella today?" Celine asked steering the conversation into more comfortable territory.

"They were marvelous! They truly seem to be thriving here in Charleston. Have you met them?" Scarlett questioned. She knew they both knew of Celine, but she didn't think they had met her.

"Of course! When Rhett told me he was bringing them here for school I made sure I met them. Such sweet children. I try to see them whenever I can, but having so many grandchildren I'm finding it increasingly difficult to split my time evenly amongst them all," she replied with a laugh. How like her to claim them as her own grandchildren, Scarlett thought with admiration. They're lucky to have someone like her in their lives taking on the role of grandmother.

"I'm sure it presents a struggle for you. Wade and Ella must have been so happy to meet you. It has been so long since they have had a grandparent of any sort," she said solemnly with thoughts of Mother and Pa swimming in her head.

"The pleasure of meeting them was all mine. Wade is so intelligent and Ella is so full of life. They make this old woman feel young again!" Celine joked. Scarlett was preparing her reply of rebuttal to her claim that she was an old woman when there was a knock on the door. Scarlett knew she was about to meet one of Rhett's two siblings and she was excited. Rather than Rhett getting up this time, Clive went to open the door.

"Good Lord Clive! I didn't know whether to wear a coat or grab a fan! This damn weather needs to make up its mind," bellowed Rosemary as she entered the foyer. Never had Scarlett in her life heard someone enter a house with company in such extravagant fashion that she couldn't help but giggle.

"The weather is terribly confused Mrs. Powell. If I could fix it for you I would," Clive replied humorously in his slick baritone voice as he took her coat.

"Keep calling me Mrs. Powell Clive and you're bound to hurt my feelings. It's Rosemary to you from now on and nothing but!" Rosemary insisted to him.

"My apologies Rosemary. Old habits die hard," Clive relented.

"That particular habit better die now," she said with a broad, friendly smile on her face. She rested her hand on Clive's shoulder to drive home her point of friendship and he smiled back and nodded his head in acknowledgment.

Scarlett felt as if she had been hit by a tidal wave and its name was Rosemary. The air that surrounded her was brash and warm all at the same time. She knew she had been wild like Rhett years ago, but she had no idea that her wildness would still be present in her speech. It gave her so much character that Scarlett was dying to get to know her. Not only was her nature endlessly intriguing, but she was incredibly beautiful. Rosemary looked exactly as her mother must have at her age, which suggested to Scarlett that Celine's hair color was once the color Rosemary's was now, a vibrant chestnut brown. She must be shooting suitors down left and right, Scarlett thought. She's beautiful!

"Not standing to greet your baby sister Rhett? Forever not a gentleman I see," Rosemary chided as she made her entrance into the parlor.

"I see no need to extend my gentlemanliness to a brat," he barbed back standing to greet her, along with Celine and Scarlett. Their good natured teasing and subsequent embrace were very telling of their relationship. They were as close as siblings could be; something Scarlett never had with her sisters.

"And you must be the infamous Scarlett O'Hara! I must admit, I've been dying to meet you," Rosemary stated approaching Scarlett for an embrace. Her kindness was overwhelming and Scarlett could not help but feel immediate friendship towards her.

"I'm eager to meet anyone who can make an entrance like that!" Scarlett replied with nothing but admiration.

"And to think I thought you might find it offensive," she joked.

"Oh no! It made me feel right at home," she laughed back.

"Good! Because that's where you are," she replied enthusiastically before giving Scarlett a kiss on the cheek and moving on to greet her mother. Damn! Scarlett thought exasperatedly. Divorcing Rhett is going to be even harder now that I know I'd be leaving this behind. Why can't I divorce him but keep his family!? When Rosemary finished greeting her mother, they all resumed their seats on the couches with Rosemary sitting next to Celine.

"So what were you all talking about before I so rudely interrupted?" Rosemary inquired.

"We were just discussing Scarlett's children," Celine answered.

"Wade and Ella? I adore those two. If I had a daughter, I'd want her to be just like Ella. And that Wade! What a charmer! You know my Vincent is quite fond of your Wade?" Rosemary directed to Scarlett.

"Really!? I didn't even know they met. Do they go to school together?" Scarlett asked feeling terribly under-informed.

"Yes. Rhett felt the need to group our sons in the same boarding school. 'No son or nephew of mine will be taught by sub-par tutors and miss an opportunity to network,' is how he phrased it if I remember correctly," Rosemary mocked by throwing her voice to sound like his when quoting him. Everyone, including Rhett, laughed at it.

"That is exactly what I said, though I sincerely doubt I sounded like a dying whale in doing so," he teased back.

"How on earth do you know what a dying whale sounds like?" Rosemary replied skeptically.

"I don't, but I'm sure if I did that is exactly what it would sound like," he insisted. The carefree nature of the room was so comforting to Scarlett that she felt the binds of social convention going out the window. There really seemed to be no need for them here and it was an immense relief. Why even Celine, Scarlett mused, a woman who is assuredly well versed in social conventions sees no need to intervene in their teasing. She even seems to be enjoying it!

In the laughter that ensued from the teasing exchange of barbs, everyone allowed themselves to slip away from the world for a moment. It was only with a knock at the door were they were jerked back into reality.

"Who in hell is paying a visit at dinner time? Why surely no one else was..." Rosemary suddenly stopped herself and turned to Rhett with a genuine shocked expression. "Surely that's not..."

"It is," Rhett replied sharply. Scarlett felt his body tense at the knock on the door. All humor in the room gone, a slightly horrified expression crossed Rosemary's face.

"No," Rosemary stated as a statement rather than a question to Rhett.

"Yes," he replied coldly.

"Why did you..." Rosemary started but trailed off.

"I didn't," he replied as if the answer was obvious. With his answer, Rosemary turned to face Celine.

"Mother why would you..." Rosemary started before Celine stopped her progress.

"Do not question me," Celine replied with sternness that Scarlett wouldn't have even thought her capable of seconds ago. Any further questioning was halted when Clive opened the door.

"Mr. and Mrs. Butler, may I take your coats?" Clive asked respectfully. Without so much as a reply, they took off their coats and handed them to him before entering the room.

Great balls of fire! He looks just like Rhett, she thought at the first full sight of Lucius. With the notable exceptions of him being an inch or two shorter and not nearly as muscular, he was the spitting-image of Rhett. While outwardly they looked the same, there was something about him that startled, and dare she say, scared her. Scarlett had always thought Rhett had a nature about him of a caged lion; beautiful and gentle while caged, but once poked, prodded, and released from its cage could lash out and attack the one who released him. All it took was one look into Lucius' dark eyes, which held no warmth like Rhett's, and she saw the lion in him had no cage at all.

"Long time no see brother," Rosemary greeted with ill covered tension.

"Yes, far too long," he replied in a voice that lacked all trace of warmth. The embrace they shared was awkward and lacked the familiarity Rosemary and Rhett's embrace had. He then moved on to greet his mother, which amazingly did have some warmth in it, while Lorraine stiffly greeted Rosemary. Scarlett found herself preparing to face him when she felt Rhett gently place his arm around her and rest his hand on her shoulder blade. Looking up at him, she could see his blank expression firmly in place, but there was a reassuring warmth in his eyes that she needed to see. She returned the warmth with her own eyes and then turned to greet Lucius.

"You must be Scarlett," Lucius said while taking her hand to place a kiss on it.

"Yes and you must be Lucius," she returned with the same stiffness he showed her.

"It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. I must say, I'm surprised you're here. It's been nearly six months since Rhett returned and you were nowhere in sight. I almost thought you would never show," he said trying to make it sound like he was joking, but the malicious intent he held showed plainly through. Scarlett was vaguely aware that everyone was paying attention to their meeting and that Rhett had pressed his fingers lightly into her shoulder blade.

"We decided it wouldn't be best for me to come until the renovations were done," she replied. She felt an odd pang of pride knowing she was still such a cool and convincing liar. Even in reflection she would never know how she came up with that alibi so quickly.

"Then let us hope further renovations aren't needed," he replied so coolly that it sent a chill up her spine. My God, she thought horrified. He knows. He saw right through me. She had barely any time to recover before she had to greet Lorraine; it didn't help that Rhett removed his hand from her shoulder blade either.

"Scarlett," Lorraine said stiffly. The look she gave Scarlett was filled with condescension and disdain. Her pretty face, which featured large light green eyes and full lips, and her figure were immediately warped into ugliness in Scarlett's mind. She was left with the impression that Lorraine, frankly, was a pretentious bitch.

"Lorraine," she replied with as much disdain as she had shown her.

"Rhett," Scarlett heard Lucius say to Rhett, causing her to lose interest in Lorraine and turn to look at Rhett.

The tension in the room could have been cut with dull 100 year old knife. Nobody hid their interest in what was transpiring between Rhett and Lucius and showed so by focusing intently on them. What was playing out between them looked more like a standoff rather than a greeting. Unbridled hatred was radiating off of both of them and Scarlett was sure everyone in Charleston could feel it. Lucius' outstretched hand had thus yet gone untouched by Rhett.

"Lucius," Rhett finally replied and stiffly shook his brother's hand. If she didn't know better, she could have sworn that their hands were clasped far too tightly, as if they were attempting to submit the other with the power they possessed in their hands.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but dinner is served," injected Clive into the stiff room. Clive's entrance cut the tension and Scarlett felt as if she now owed him a debt of gratitude. She took in a deep breath, not having noticed she was holding her breath, and slowly let it out. She glanced at Rosemary who seemed to be doing the exact same thing and they shared a look that screamed "at least they didn't kill each other."

"Thank you Clive," Rhett said earnestly and broke off contact with his brother. "Shall we all go to the dining room?"

"Hell yes," Rosemary practically shouted as she started to lead the charge towards the dining room. Rhett stood aside and quickly acknowledged Lorraine with merely a nod as she walked past, with her acknowledging him with the same gesture. Rhett then held out his arm for Scarlett to walk into. She walked up to him and he placed his hand on the small of her back. When she looked up at him, he gave her a look of relief and apology and started to lead her into the dining room.

Scarlett and Rhett each took their seats at the heads of the table and started to take in the dinner laid out before them. There was ham, chicken, potatoes, vegetables, sauces, and even a soup. Rhett spared no expense for the dinner and Scarlett could not wait to start eating.

"My compliments to the chef," Rhett said pleasantly to Clive.

"I'm sure he will be most pleased," Clive replied happily. Once everyone was served, he left the room and everyone started to enjoy the feast before them.

Most of the dinner went by in complete silence, with the only utterings belonging to how good the food was and the oddness of the weather. No one, not even Rosemary, dared to venture into other territories of conversation for fear of the potential downturn the dinner could take. Scarlett had already downed one glass of wine, ignoring Rhett's glaring at her doing so, justifying it as a necessary means to distract herself from the tension. It wasn't as if she was drinking to get drunk anyways. Plus, Celine had also already downed one glass of wine so Scarlett felt no shame in starting a second.

"Tell me Scarlett, how do you like the renovations?" questioned Lucius making too much of an effort to sound innocent.

"I absolutely love them. Rhett has truly restored this house to its former glory," she replied pleasantly.

"I'm sure he has, but I'm sure it doesn't measure up to grandeur of your house in Atlanta," he said. Where is going with this? Scarlett wondered.

"Each house is grand in its own right," she replied pointedly hoping for the conversation to end there.

"From my understanding though, your hands were far more involved in the building of the other house rather than the restoration of this one. That house must have cost a fortune from what I have heard about it," he said with evident acid.

"What are you trying to get at Lucius?" Scarlett snapped.

"I'm merely implying that you enjoyed spending Rhett's money immensely... on the house," he added, but his true point was evident.

"I didn't marry him for his money," she said aghast at his audacity. Although this wasn't completely true for when she did marry him, the matter was none of his business.

"Really? Is that what you told your other husbands?" Lucius said scathingly towards her. By this point, nobody knew how to stop the speeding train in front of them that was quickly heading for disaster. Rosemary and Celine both opened their mouths to say something, but both fell into horrified silences not knowing what to say. Lorraine looked slightly amused at the spectacle.

"My God! Are you implying that I marry men for their money!?" she shouted at him. Scarlett was furious at Lucius and she wasn't going to let him lead her on any more. How dare he speak to her this way! But what was really eating at her was the silence facing her from the table. Nobody was coming to her defense; they all just continued to sit there with stupefied looks on their faces. What hurt her the most though was that Rhett was not defending her, even knowing that what Lucius was saying was effectively true, he should have defended her. All he was doing was listening intently to the argument and though he looked appalled, he stayed silent. Rhett if you care for me at all, defend me now, Scarlett was praying.

"I certainly am. Marrying men for money Scarlett, doesn't that effectively make you a whore with a ring?" he said in a cold, concise tone knowing that he had just crossed some arbitrary line on purpose.

With this final question, he had effectively broken the silence that had pervaded the room for the entire argument. Everyone's jaw dropped, including Lorraine's, in shock and mortification at what they had just heard. Before anyone could say something, Scarlett flew into a rage the likes of which she had never known before.

"YOU BASTARD!" she screamed as she stood up from her chair with such force that it flew backwards onto the floor. She picked up her glass of wine and threw its contents onto his face. When he yelled at the wine hitting his face, she threw the glass at him hitting him square in the chest.

What happened next, nobody would ever be able to remember clearly. Scarlett started to storm out of the room when Lucius stood up from his seat to block her path and he raised his hand to slap her. It was then that there was a loud crash followed by a cocking sound and the women seated at the table started to scream. Lucius froze in place and a chilling smirk crossed his face as he slowly turned to face Rhett and the pistol he was aiming at his head.

"Does Cain wish to kill Abel?" Lucius asked tauntingly.

"I am not jealous of you as he was. I do however sympathize with the wrath he felt," Rhett replied with his aim still firmly on the target.

"Have you ever wondered what a good beating would do for Scarlett?" he asked menacingly.

"No, but I have wondered what a good bullet through your head would do," he replied coolly, as if the conversation he was having was normal in some way.

"I guess now is when I should take my departure," he said smirking.

"Yes and keep in mind, if you put foot on my property again, I will kill you," Rhett threatened.

"Goodbye Rhett," Lucius said with an odd tone of relief and happiness.

"Goodbye Lucius," Rhett replied with the same tone.

Rhett did not set his gun down until the front door shut behind Lucius and Lorraine. No one in the room spoke; they were still too much in shock. The first to speak was Scarlett.

"I can't wait to leave tomorrow so I never have to see you again," she said to Rhett with quiet, seething anger. Before she saw his reaction to what she said, she turned around and left the dining room. She ran the whole way up the stairs and slammed the door to her room.

He didn't defend her until violence against her was threatened and she could not get that thought out of her head. This was the sign that she needed to know he no longer loved or cared for her.

In anger and desire to no longer feel as if she were caged, she somehow managed to tear herself out of her dress, leaving parts of it scattered all over the floor. Her corset was going to present more of a problem, but she no longer cared. She managed to twist her corset around her body, which was more painful than Scarlett had counted on, and manipulate her way out of it as well. Scarlett went through her luggage and found one of her silk robes. Putting it on, she made her way to the vanity to start brushing her hair.

While brushing her hair, she felt as if she was watching her entire life pass in front of her eyes. She saw all the mistakes she had made with Rhett, how awful she had been, and how it all came to a head tonight. I did this to myself, she thought. This is all my fault. I am now paying for my sins.

Scarlett was startled to hear the door knob twist and the door slam. She quickly turned to look at the door and was shocked to see Rhett standing there, half undressed. It was as if he was getting ready for bed when he decided to storm her room.

"Rhett what are you..." she started before he interrupted.

"Don't look so surprised Scarlett. I may have afforded you the luxury of knocking before entering at the old house, but not here," he said with an edge in his voice.

"Why are you here?" she asked perplexed.

"You're up to something," he said with anger brimming towards the surface. "I can feel it."


	23. Battle Royal

_**A/N: The rating for this chapter goes up to M, so reader beware! **_

_**Thanks to all of you who were so enthusiastic about the previous chapter! Your reviews keep me going! :)  
**_

_**And now for another chapter which I felt deserved a title:  
**_

**Chapter 23: Battle Royal**

"I don't know what you're talking about," Scarlett replied after a pregnant pause. Before she replied, she turned her head away from him knowing that it would be easier for him to read her if he could see her face and she started to brush her hair with unnecessary fervor.

"You always were a dreadful liar, my pet," Rhett scoffed.

"I'm not in the mood to be taunted. What do you want?" she bit back.

"The truth," he replied simply.

"The truth about what?" she asked far too harshly to compensate for the disorientation she was feeling at him barging into her room unannounced.

"There are many things that I am, but a fool is not one. You have been acting peculiar all day and I want to know the source of it," he said in a confrontational tone.

"Why do you care? If I remember correctly, all you feel for me is pity and kindness," she spat at him having spun in her seat to face him.

"Oh to have my own words used against me!" Rhett laughed with no humor. "Then consider this an inquiry of kindness."

"I have no desire to answer your inquiry, nor do I have to. Now leave," she said actually hoping he would. Scarlett knew she should still be upset with him for not defending her against his vile brother, but her anger was waning at the sight of him half undressed. All he was currently wearing were his pants and shirt, which was unbuttoned and revealed his muscular chest that filled out his suits so perfectly. Yes, he was far too distracting and he needed to leave.

"Just as you have no desire to answer me, I have no desire to leave," he replied smoothly as he leaned back against the door and placed his hands nonchalantly in his pockets.

"Really Rhett!? There's no point in you staying here! I'm not talking to you," she bellowed exasperatedly.

"You're talking to me right now," he pointed out sarcastically. Scarlett knew this comment was intended to aggravate her into responding and it almost worked. She had to bite down on her tongue so hard she was surprised it didn't bleed, but she continued to glare.

"There is no need to continue this childish display of defiance Scarlett," he remarked humorously. "All I need is for you to tell why you have acted so peculiar today and I will leave you to brute in peace."

"How dare you patronize me after what I just faced from your brother! He disgraced me in front of your family and you did nothing to defend me!" Scarlett yelled no longer caring about her resolve to not speak to him. How he handled the situation hurt her and she wanted him to know that.

"I seem to recall pulling a gun on him," he replied tepidly. Scarlett took grim satisfaction in knowing that her comment had broke through his armor so swiftly. When she yelled at him about his brother and not defending her, his smooth mask of indifference cracked and he looked extremely uncomfortable. He shifted uneasily on his feet and he took his hands out off his pockets to cross his arms over his chest.

"You only pulled a gun on him once he threatened to slap me! I'm surprised you didn't just let him strike me like you expressed desire to do so many times over the years!" she flung viciously at him. Right when she said it, she knew she had gone too far. Rhett immediately stiffened his stance and the unease he had showed seconds earlier transformed into fury. He balled his large hands into fists and slammed his right fist into the wall next to him.

"Damn it Scarlett! Do you really think I would have ever actually fucking hit you!?" he screamed at her. Rhett had never strayed from using course language, but the vulgarity of his question shocked Scarlett. She had only heard _that_ word a hand full of times in her life and they had all happened while she was a volunteer nurse during the war. It was always soldiers who used it and whenever they did, she and the other nurses would cringe knowing how vulgar it was.

"Answer me!" he yelled. She had been momentarily dumbfounded into silence and had seemingly forgotten to answer.

"I... well..." she started not knowing how to phrase what she wanted to say. Truth be told, now that she thought about it, she was certain that he never would lay a hand on her. He had plenty of opportunities to, some seemingly justifiable like when she threatened to "rid herself" of his baby that was growing inside her, but he never had.

"Don't stutter now! You didn't when you accused me of wanting to beat you!" he bellowed at her. While his tone was predominantly angry, there was a strong undercurrent of hurt in his voice.

"No, I don't think you would ever hit me," she replied dejectedly. Scarlett wanted to apologize but didn't know how.

"See that's your problem! You don't think before you open that savage mouth of yours. You fling insults around at the drop of a hat without thinking of the implications of what you say. Scarlett you are so like a child who thinks of only wounding without regard for how hurtful your words will be; you're just consumed by thoughts of saying them!" he spat venomously at her.

"I know what I said was wrong but don't you dare pretend to be the innocent party here. You are just as guilty of that sin as I am! I cannot even begin to count how many insults have flown out of your mouth without regard for how vicious they are! My God Rhett! You JOKED about my having a miscarriage and when it happened..." Scarlett stormed before Rhett interrupted.

"NO! I will not take part in this!" he shouted before flinging the door open and marching out of the room. Without thinking twice, Scarlett ran out of the room and chased Rhett down the hall. He picked up his pace when he heard her coming and nearly slammed the door to his room in her face but she managed to slip in before he did. Scarlett stood in the corner and saw Rhett raise his shaking hands into his hair. He settled them on either side of his head and pressed hard, as if he was trying to crush the thoughts inside, and made his way to a stand with decanters and glasses on it to pour himself a rather large serving of whiskey.

"See this is _your_ problem," Scarlett started quietly but with no less anger in her voice. "You run. You always run when confronted with a problem."

"Shut your mouth," he said ominously quiet before she could go on. He put the glass to his mouth and started to down the whiskey inside.

"No, I will not. If you are so willing to point out my flaws, I will point out yours," Scarlett seethed.

"SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH!" he screamed as he threw the now empty glass in her general direction. It shattered behind her head on the wall and she saw the pieces of it land on the floor. Caught up in her own rage, she reached for a crystal figurine on the dresser next to her and threw it at him in return. He saw it flying at him with barely enough time to step aside. Instead of hitting him, the figurine shattered the decanters on the stand and knocked off all the glasses onto the floor where they broke as well.

"Get out Scarlett," Rhett said with barely contained wrath.

"Why should I? Have nowhere else to run off to like that nasty Belle or your mistress like you had in Atlanta?" she pressed on bringing up his mistress, which had been a painful thorn in her side since she discovered the lingerie.

"What mistress?" he barked at her.

"The one you had lingerie hiding in your closet for," she angrily informed him. "I'm surprised you didn't think I would eventually find out."

Rhett's reaction to this revelation was far from what Scarlett expected. At first he looked confused until his expression morphed into a look that she was certain would have killed her, assuming looks could kill. She then noticed his chest rumbling lightly before his loud, maniacal laughter filled the room. How long he laughed for Scarlett could not say, but with each passing second she got more furious until she could not handle it any more.

"You think this is funny!?" she shouted appalled at his display.

"I certainly do," he managed to say through his laughter.

"I don't see how this is even remotely funny! Not only did you carry on with Belle and all the women in that cesspool of a whorehouse, but you also had the nerve to carry on with a mistress!" she cried out in hurt in anger.

"So what if I did?" he questioned through still more laughter. "I told you after you banished me from your room forever that there were plenty of beds for me to seek comfort in and many of them were occupied by women."

"You scoundrel!" she yelled not knowing what else to say.

"Oh no! I think the real scoundrel here is you, you snoopy little minx. Tell me, what else did you find in your adventures through my room? Did you perchance happen to find bank statements?" he asked in a voice laced with curiosity and amusement.

Scarlett, needless to say, was horrified by this turn of events. Not only was she under fire for going through his things, but he made no attempt to dispel her accusations of him carrying on with a mistress. She was, yet again, stunned into silence.

"I take it from your lack of response that you did," he remarked with malicious humor. "I would have given anything to have been there to see your reaction to them. I'm sure your eyes got so big they practically rolled out of your skull! And I can only begin to imagine the dollar signs you saw in your mind."

"Do you really think my thoughts belong only to money!?" Scarlett shouted aghast. He can't really think I'm that heartless, she prayed.

"No, I think a few thoughts of vanity manage to sneak their way in occasionally," he mocked. "And don't think that you can make off with all my millions either darling. What you saw was what you are allowed to see. Although I will admit it is a little disconcerting that you now have an idea of what I am worth."

"What on earth are you going on about?" she questioned wondering what he meant by "an idea."

"You know exactly what I am going on about. Did you honestly think that I left behind proof of everything I'm worth knowing that there was a potential you would go searching? What you saw were statements for the account I draw on for your allowance and the house expenses. Nothing more, nothing less," he said coldly. His dark eyes were scouring her face for her reaction to this revelation.

"But there were millions in that account!" Scarlett said in shock.

"Honestly, I don't think even you can appreciate how expensive being married to you is. This marriage has already cost me more than most banks have in reserves! That is the account I have used to take care of you for quite awhile and if you were to mercifully grant me a divorce someday, that is the account your settlement would come out of," he sneered at her. And there it was, his casual mention of divorce. It broke Scarlett's heart to hear him say it, even knowing that she herself had already filed for it. She had done so for many reasons and one of them was knowing that he seemed to want one desperately. If it was what he needed to move on and for her to be free of guilt, then she would grant it to him, but it still ripped at her heart.

"You still want a divorce?" she asked dejectedly.

"Yes, I still want a divorce," he replied weakly as he leaned against one of the uprights of the bed.

"Can't we try again?" she asked hoping he would see her willingness to do better by him.

"No. I waited far too long for you and nothing came of that. I will not force you to go through the same thing," he replied as he placed a hand over his eyes and started to rub his temples.

"But I love you Rhett. I always will and I..." she started to ramble as the words started to pour forth from her without restraint.

"Stop this now! I cannot bear to hear it. We just need to part ways so we can, in time, forgive each other for what transpired between us," he interjected still not looking at her, his eyes still covered by his hand.

"Why can't we try again!? Won't we be seeing each other occasionally and..." Scarlett asked no longer caring that she sounded as if she were pleading.

"The most I can ever see us sharing again is friendship, as long as your declarations of love cease. I will keep my word to visit you in Atlanta and I will not object to you staying here when you visit Ella and Wade, but that is all we will ever have," he replied feebly as he stared out into the night at nothing in particular.

Scarlett felt his words tear at her soul, much as she imagined her vile words did to his over the years, and she knew she could not go on with her professions of newly actualized love. It was too painful for both of them and it served no purpose. They were done. There was no hope of reconciliation, but that did not stop her from being drawn to him.

During the first year or so of their marriage, Scarlett had found immense comfort in being close to his body during the night knowing that he could comfort her if a nightmare or anything else happened to her. At first she was embarrassed when she would wake up in the morning to see that during the night she had migrated to his side of the bed and entangled herself around him, but he would just smile at her and start absentmindedly playing with her hair. They both started to look forward to these mornings and she got over her embarrassment quickly.

The one thing Scarlett needed now was his body. This would be her last opportunity to find the comfort in him that she needed and though he may not love her any more, she hoped he would at least allow her this one worldly comfort. She was no longer as concerned with having relations with him as she was with just wanting to feel his body beside hers. With this hope coursing through her, she walked across the room and approached him.

Once she was standing before him, he continued to look out the window for a few seconds before he looked down at her, his mask of indifference in place. She would have been deterred from touching him if it hadn't been that his eyes reflected something far from indifference, but what it was she did not know. The look in his eyes was so intense that she had to look away and focus on his chest instead. With slight hesitance, she placed her trembling hands on his firm stomach, which tensed at her touch.

"What are you doing Scarlett?" he asked quietly with fear in his voice. Scarlett ignored his question and ran her fingers over the knife scar on his stomach, up his chest and through his black chest hair. Rhett's body was so warm and the smell emanating off of him was so intoxicating that she couldn't pull away if she tried; it did not go unnoticed by her that he also made no attempt to pull away from her or to make her stop.

Even during the most intimate and happy times of their marriage, she had never explored his body as she was now. The depressing thought that not only did she not know his mind, but she didn't know his body either came to light, but she pushed it away. She was enjoying this moment far too much to start thinking about something so negative.

As she allowed her hands to run slowly up and down his broad chest, she could not help but notice how gorgeous their skin looked together; her alabaster white against his dark tan. Her hands had navigated their way to his shoulders when she decided to see how far Rhett would let her go. She massaged his shoulders and pressed her thumbs into his collarbones. Tracing the entire length of his collarbones became inhibited by his shirt so she took both sides of it and started to peel it off down his arms, which he allowed without protest.

Scarlett let his shirt fall to the floor behind him and she jumped at the opportunity to take advantage of his newly freed arms. Squeezing gently as she ran her hands up them, she felt her heart quicken its already rapid pace at how strong and unyielding his arms were. Finally braving a look up to his face to see how he was reacting, she saw that he had his head tilted back with his eyes closed. Taking this as a sign that he was reveling in her exploration as much as she was, she continued.

Her hands made their way to his sides where his skin was smooth as silk on top of his rippling muscles. She dug her fingers into him as she began to feel an unbearable amount of desire starting to pool inside her. Lightheadedness started to claim her but she pushed through it to continue her tantalizing adventure.

Pushing her whole hands into him, she reached them around his hips and pushed them up his solid back harshly. She noticed his skin temperature rising and goose-bumps rising in the leave of her touch. Needing to feel his body against her, she wrapped her arms tightly around him and nuzzled herself into him; laying the side of her face onto his chest above his heart. Pressed against him she could feel that his breathing was shallow and his rapid heart pace rivaled only her own. Picking up her head, she placed a kiss on the portion of his chest that protected his heart and laid her head back down.

Scarlett did not know how long she stood there hugging him, only that she was happy he allowed her to do so. As she contemplated letting him go and leaving the room, she was startled to feel his hands wrap gently around her neck above her emerald necklace. He gently pressed his thumbs to her throat and ran them up its entire length, gently pushing up her chin so she was forced to look into his face.

The expression he wore was one Scarlett had not seen in years. It was so far from the fury, the disgust, and the frustration she had seen in the last hour or so. His mask was gone, no trace of it in sight, and what was left was something so raw and pure it took her breath away. Scarlett also knew that for the first time in her life, she was wearing the same expression.

From what Scarlett was able to observe, Rhett was fighting an intense internal battle that was tearing him apart. It was disorienting to see all of his emotions play boldly across his face and she felt an odd sense of privilege knowing that he was allowing her to witness it. As quickly as it started, it stopped and his face fell into a look of serenity as a side of his internal battle claimed victory.

At first she thought he was going to let her go, but instead he moved his hands so they cupped her face and he started to glide his thumbs across her cheeks. The gesture was so tender and so inflaming that Scarlett did not know how to contend with them inside. She wanted him so badly at this point that she was finding it difficult to breath, but she would not pressure him or make demands. If he wanted it, it was his for the taking, but if not, she would not begrudge him.

Searching her with his eyes one more, he slowly lowered his face to hers and gave her a quick, chaste kiss before pulling his lips away but not the rest of him. A few seconds elapsed before he kissed her again and he did not pull away this time. Scarlett took this as her cue to reciprocate the affection he showed so she deepened the kiss. Rhett responded immediately and before either of them could process what had happened, they were aggressively claiming each other's mouth and clinging to one another as if their life depended on it.

While maintaining the kiss, Rhett removed his arms from around her and hurriedly undid the ties of her robe to tear it away. Pressing her naked body into him, Scarlett had never felt so alive. Every nerve in her body felt as if it were on fire and she allowed the waves of passion flowing over her to engulf her. Feeling Rhett bending her back slightly, she clung to him more tightly with her arms around his neck. He placed his hands on the back of her thighs and picked them up for her to wrap her legs around him, which she complied with.

All while carrying her and maintaining the kiss, Rhett somehow got them to the side of the bed and climbed on to it. Laying her down gently with him on top of her, he peeled his lips away to gaze down into her eyes. She looked back with what she was sure was the same look of desperation and desire. The heat radiating off of their bodies was dizzying and there was nothing she wanted more than for them to become one. Scarlett did not have long to wait before her wish was granted and they were using their bodies to receive and provide pleasure to each other.

* * *

Scarlett had been asleep for about an hour or so before the sun began to rise. Taking stock of her body, she felt her languid limbs were sticky and slightly wet from the night's exertions and she felt satisfied and relaxed although she had only received an hour of sleep. Looking up at Rhett, she saw that he was in a deep sleep. He looked so handsome and peaceful to her now, that she was happy she did not have to wake him. This would serve as a beautiful last memory of him and the thought gave her a small solemn smile.

She disentangled herself from him carefully so as not to disturb him and retrieved her discarded robe. Taking the sight of him in one more time, she quietly whispered an "I love you" into his ear and left the room. After choosing the traveling dress she would wear on the train, everything went by in a blur. Clive helped her quietly repack her things and carry them down the stairs to the carriage. With one last look at Rhett's sprawling estate, they departed for the train station.

Clive wished her farewell after unloading her luggage and Scarlett thanked him sincerely for being so kind to her during her stay. She saw to it that her luggage was placed in her private sleeper cabin and that her belongings which had been stored at the station from her arrival in Atlanta were loaded in the storage container.

When the train started pulling out of the station, she bid Charleston goodbye with a sense of melancholy laced with hope knowing that she would soon have her rebirth in a far away land known as California.


	24. Musings of Emeralds

**_A/N: All your reviews of the last chapter were phenomenal! THANK YOU!_**

**_Buckle up though friends because that was just the beginning...  
_**

**__Chapter 24: Musings of Emeralds**

A week or so had passed since Scarlett had left and Rhett had not been able to stop thinking of her since. The way she had departed so abruptly and without warning bothered him more than he cared to admit and that is where he was now allowing his thoughts to wander today in the warmish Charleston twilight of his porch.

Rhett had busied himself with various chores around the property throughout the day, but even the strenuous physical activity could not distract him. He figured that if he sat down and finally faced the problem directly, he would be able to push past it and move on. Several hours and half a bottle of whiskey later, he had made zero progress.

Waking up from their night of passion, he fully expected to find Scarlett wrapped around him as she had done most nights when they shared a bed. He did not know how he would act towards her or what he would say, but he had reached the resolve to not act callous or disinterested. Even someone as careless as him knew better than to spoil the high of the previous night by acting as if it did not matter when the exact opposite was true.

Scarlett's loving caresses and their subsequent love making had acted as a balm to his burned, tarnished soul. He had hid away from anything that could cause him to feel any extreme emotion for months and her touch overloaded his system with a desire so intense that he was not able to hold back, against his better judgment. It had served as the first time in their relationship that they had made love in its truest sense; both were in love with one another, even though she did not know that. This knowledge left a bitter taste in his mouth knowing from experience how difficult it was to make love and think the other did not feel the same. He was in no way ready to reveal that he was still in love or had fallen back in love with her, which way he did not know for sure, but he did know he wasn't going to ruin the morning by acting like a jackass.

Upon opening his eyes, he absorbed two cold hard truths. One being that the sun was higher in the sky than when he normally awoke and two being that Scarlett was not wrapped around him, nor was she even in the room. He knew she had to leave to catch her train back to Atlanta that day so he willed his exhausted limbs to get up faster than usual to go find her. Putting on his pants quickly, he made his way down the very hall she had chased him down not twelve hours ago and entered the master bedroom.

Searching the room, he found no trace of her or her things except for a small, delicate dark green velvet draw string bag in the corner where her luggage had been. Picking it up curiously, he noticed that whatever was inside was small, but it had a little weight to it. Justifying opening it to see what was inside by saying she went through his belongings, his heart skipped a beat when her engagement ring fell into his hand.

Although he had teased her when she said she wanted a great big diamond engagement ring, he already knew that was what she would want and that was what he was hoping to get her. The bigger the ring, the easier it was for the world to see that she was taken. Not only was she taken, she was taken by a man who could spoil her and grant her every wish; it thrilled him more than absolutely necessary that he was the man to do so.

Once arriving in England for the business trip that took him from her side after his proposal, he informed anyone with ears that he was getting married. His friends and business associates were all shocked and initially thought it was a joke. They could no sooner recall how many times he had pronounced himself a bachelor for life over the years than they could begin to account for all the women he had bedded. It had only sunk in that he was serious one night during a raucous evening of drinking and gambling when he had denied a pretty young woman who was doing everything to tempt him besides stripping on the spot and then refusing to accompany his friends to a brothel. They did everything to goad him into going, but nothing worked. Rhett would never admit it, but the lambasting he faced from his friends and business associates infuriated him as much as it made him uncomfortable. No matter how stupid and sentimental it sounded, he wanted to faithfully wait for Scarlett and their wedding night.

After that debacle of a night with his friends, he quickly finished up his business matters in England and made his way to France. He decided to check on the investments he had made there, but that was not his main purpose for visiting. While in England he had asked around various social circles about who the jeweler of the moment was; he would have no one but the most in demand jewelry designer craft the ring he would slip onto his Scarlett's finger to claim her as his own. The name that kept being mentioned was that of a Frenchman by the name of Louis-Francois Cartier. Apparently he had made quite the name for himself by becoming the unofficial jeweler of the French aristocracy. Cartier's status had been put on the fast track by catering to the whims and desires of Empress Eugenie, the wife of Emperor Napoleon III, whom Rhett thought of as a weak imitation of his uncle.

During the appointment with Cartier, Rhett ran into some serious issues with Scarlett's engagement ring. There were two styles for the center diamond that he was debating over and he just continued to stare at them until he was informed that the styles he was stuck between were the radiant cut and the emerald cut. Seeing Scarlett's eyes in his mind, he proclaimed that he wanted the emerald cut. Rhett then requested that instead of small diamonds surrounding the center one, he wanted the center diamond to be surrounded by small emeralds. Once he was satisfied with the engagement ring's design, he chose the wedding bands. He already knew that he wanted them to be simple, matching gold rings. When he told Cartier that he wanted them to have inscriptions inside them, he thought Cartier was going to lapse into a conniption fit until he reminded him of how much money he was spending. Ultimately, Cartier agreed to do the inscriptions and to have the bands and engagement ring finished by the time Rhett wanted to depart back for Georgia. The wait proved to be difficult for Rhett, but when the day came that he was informed of the final pieces having been completed, he was not disappointed. They were even more stunning than what he had pictured in his mind and he could not wait to present the carefully crafted engagement ring to Scarlett.

One day on the boat back to the US, curiosity overwhelmed him and he fished the wedding bands out of his luggage. He smiled at the masterfully inscribed sentiments inside the rings and slipped his wedding band on to see how it would look. While the ring itself was simple, it symbolized the end of his bachelorhood and the beginning of what he hoped would be wedded bliss. Looking at the ring on his finger, he realized how happy he was to be getting married and decided to prove it to the world by wearing his ring the rest of the trip home and took it off only once he was ashore. By that time, he had developed a faint tan line where the ring had been, which he was surprised no one noticed because he wanted nothing more than to see the shocked face of whoever asked about it when he told them he was getting married.

Rhett was not disappointed by Scarlett's reaction to the engagement ring. She gushed over it and even initiated a rather passionate bout of kissing, which took him by surprise but he was no less than excited by it. It was only after people started gossiping about the couple and the ostentatiousness of her engagement ring that she started to comment on how it was far too large and was unacceptable. Her turn against the ring he so carefully designed just for her broke his heart, but he said nothing except that if she took it off he would cement it to her finger.

Regardless of her initial protests, Scarlett did continue to wear the ring until years later when Rhett decided to make a go at repairing their reputation in the eyes of the Old Guard for the sake of their children. By then he had built an impervious wall around his heart regarding all matters of Scarlett, so he failed to see how hurt she was when he ordered her to stop wearing it because of the very reasons she wanted to stop wearing it all those years ago.

Now here he was staring at the engagement ring, about seven years after designing it in Paris with Cartier himself, laying in his palm next to the wedding band on his finger which he had not removed since the day he married. Discovering it that morning when he awoke to find she had abandoned him without so much as a goodbye stung, even though the last thing he wanted was for her to have the impression that he already wanted to start anew. He refused to acknowledge that the way he was feeling must be reminiscent of how Scarlett felt when he ran from her the night of Ashley's birthday party after brutally taking advantage of her for hours. It was truly insult to injury that her ring had been left behind.

Whether she had done so on purpose or not was chipping away at his sanity as he twirled the ring between his fingers. She was spiteful enough to do it, of that he was certain, but it didn't make sense. Why would she leave it now after she had further professed her love for him and then physically expressed that love? As if thoughts like this weren't bothering him enough, he started to contemplate what to do with the ring. Should he send it back? Should he keep it until the next visit? Was she missing it? And so on and so forth went his spiraling thoughts until he was interrupted.

At the front of his estate, he saw that someone had ridden up on their horse and was tying it to the stake; the mystery person then started to hurriedly make their way down the path to his house. He quickly placed Scarlett's ring into his breast pocket and then tried to ascertain who was approaching with such a tangible sense of urgency.

"Matheson, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Rhett politely asked of his lawyer as he signaled for him to take the seat beside him on the porch. "Surely you don't wish to be spending time with me when you have a beautiful new wife waiting for you at home!"

"And I'm sure the last thing you would like to do on this fine night is entertain a grouchy lawyer, Butler," Mr. Matheson chided with tense pleasantness as he took a seat. His normally smooth, handsome face was distorted by his grim expression and furrowed eyebrow. Whatever the reason he was there, Rhett knew it wasn't good.

"Your tension is killing my high, Matheson. What is it?" Rhett asked lightly wanting to get to the source quickly.

"You know how you asked me to inform you of any significant changes to your accounts?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes," he replied urging him on.

"Well, there's a problem with your wife's account in Atlanta," Matheson informed him with a look that screamed he would rather be anywhere else in the world than there.

"And what is the problem?" Rhett inquired calmly although he could feel his blood beginning to boil. What the hell did she do this time? he seethed.

"She didn't touch last month's money and she is showing no sign of going near this month's either," he spat out as if saying it quickly would take away from the severity of his news.

Rhett glared at Matheson in confusion. This wasn't news at all; in fact, it was business as usual. Scarlett never touched the allowance he gave her; she had simply allowed it to pool in the account he made the deposits into. It would have been more news worthy if she had used it.

"That's not news. Scarlett never uses her allowance," he told him feeling slightly irritated.

"No, you misunderstand me. She hasn't used the money you send for the house payment, land payment, monthly expenses or anything," he clarified.

"What?" Rhett asked quietly now thoroughly and rightfully confused. Scarlett, while refusing to touch her allowance, had at least taken the money he allotted her to make all the necessary monthly payments.

"Mrs. Butler has used none of it and in fact had it redeposited back into your account along with all the money you sent as allowance over the past months. Excuse my prying, but I know that she is independently wealthy. Is it possibly that she has just decided to take on the responsibility of the payments herself?" Matheson asked grimly.

"No. She may be wealthy independent from me but not enough so that she could take care of that place without suffering financially after a few months. I don't think anyone in Atlanta has that kind of money," Rhett mused aloud. An awkward silence followed Rhett's comments during which he decided he needed to be alone.

"Is there anything else of importance you need to tell me?" he asked making it clear with his tone that if there wasn't, Matheson needed to leave.

"Only that she took all of these actions two weeks ago," he replied quietly.

"Two weeks ago!? Why am I only finding out about it now then?" he asked angrily.

"Come on, Rhett! You know as well as I that transferring that amount of money takes awhile to process. I came over here as soon as I got the notice," he said in defense of himself.

"I know, I know. I apologize. It's just that this caught me off guard is all," he replied knowing he had taken his frustrations out on the wrong person.

"It's understandable. Listen, if anything further comes up I'll let you know, but unless there is something else that needs to be discussed tonight, I'll leave you be," Matheson said with apparent hope.

"Don't allow me to keep you! Give my sincerest apologies to your wife for the delay of your arrival," he remarked politely.

"I'm sure she'll appreciate that. Goodnight Mr. Butler," Matheson bid holding out his hand.

"Goodnight Mr. Matheson," Rhett said shaking his hand before Matheson departed back down the walkway to his horse.

"What are you up to Scarlett?" he said quietly to himself after Matheson had departed. There was no reason for her to start denying his money now after she had used it for months to make the various payments concerning the house. He started to rake his mind for any reason he could have given her to refuse his money. Rhett knew he had not teased her for accepting it or implied that she should take on the burden of the payments on her own, so what could be her motivation?

That's when the answer came to him. Scarlett was so scrupulous when it came to matters of money that there was no way she would stop accepting his if it would put her or that abomination of a house at risk... unless she had found another, more acceptable form of income to supplement her own. And he knew what form that new income came in.

Ashley.

It explained everything: why she was acting so peculiar, her hurry to return to Atlanta, her excuses to his mother about why she couldn't open a store in Charleston, the comment about never wanting to see him again, and even why she slept with him. During the time of their marriage when they had relations regularly, he had become so attuned to her body that he knew what she liked and what worked best to push her into ecstasy; methods of which were not likely to be performed by a gentleman. Long story short, she was saying goodbye to him and the ecstasy he could provide her to settle into sub-par, boring relations with Ashley.

Rhett kept telling himself that this should not bother him and was what he had expected her to do once he left her, but that didn't stop the claws of anger from ripping at him inside. That fucking Ashley always wins! his thoughts screamed at him. He then told himself that Scarlett could have her precious Ashley, but over his dead body would they fornicate in the house he had erected for her. With this resolve fueling him and her engagement ring searing into his chest, he marched back into the house.

"CLIVE!" he yelled into the scarcely lit house.

"Mr. Rhett?" he asked delicately as he entered the foyer out of the dining room. Rhett had never yelled at him so his demeanor caused him alarm.

"Make sure you're up early with the carriage ready. I'm going to need a ride to the train station in the morning," he told him as he started up the stairs.

"Of course, sir. May I ask where you're heading?" Clive asked curiously.

"Atlanta!" he called before he slammed the door behind him so he could start to pack.


	25. The Bane of His Existence

_**A/N: This chapter ventures into M territory, so yet again reader beware!**_

_**To address a question recently presented by RamonaKingsley23, there are far too many fun story lines I want to explore so I don't plan on this ending anytime soon, unless the reviews start to become more negative than positive :D  
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_**Thank you again for all the kind reviews!  
**_

_****_**Chapter 25: The Bane of His Existence **

Ashley Wilkes had been the bane of Rhett's existence since the moment he met Scarlett. It was always Ashley who Scarlett went to when in distress, when she needed reassurances, and when she needed to feel loved. Rhett had wanted to be all of those things for Scarlett, but had never been permitted the privilege because Ashley had always been in the way. Never had Rhett hated someone as much as he hated Ashley Wilkes and now he was going to have to face the varmint in person. Thoughts such as these began to clog his mind on the morning train ride into Atlanta and amplified his hatred for the man, which Rhett had not thought possible until now.

To this day it surprised him that he had not killed Ashley. He had killed men before with far less provocation than possessing the heart of the one woman he had ever loved. On the night of the botched raid on shanty town, he had even come close to doing the deed. Ashley's back was to him in the dark just before the Yankees swarmed the place and it gave him the perfect excuse for his death, "the Yankees killed him." The only thing that kept him from pulling his trigger was the devastation it would cause to Miss Melly and Beau. Not to mention that Scarlett would never get over him if he had died so abruptly; her heart would go down with him and that would mean he had no chance of winning it. To keep hope alive, he spared him.

Years after the Yankee storming of the KKK on Decatur Road, Rhett had yet again started to seriously consider murdering him one night when Scarlett came home late from the mills in her first trimester of pregnancy with Bonnie. Rain was pouring out of the skies like the second coming and Rhett had forbidden Scarlett from going to the lumber mills that day for fear of her catching a cold. Scarlett, never one to listen to Rhett's orders, went anyway and came home soaking wet and looking guilty as sin when Rhett confronted her for leaving to see Ashley while carelessly putting their child at risk. A massive fight broke out between the two and they did not speak to each other the rest of the evening. They didn't even do their usual routine of reading the newspaper together before falling asleep.

Waking up in the morning, Rhett was baffled that Scarlett was still fast asleep since she was usually up before him or woke once he started to move around the room. He attributed her sleepiness to her pregnancy and went about his usual business in his office until it was nearly mid-day with no sign of Scarlett. Rhett started to contemplate checking on her when a bloodcurdling scream emanated from upstairs. Panic washed over him and he ran up the stairs two at a time to get to her. Bursting through the door, he was faced with one of the most disturbing sights in his life.

Scarlett was thrashing about on the bed screaming at the top of her lungs, all the while she was attempting to scratch some invisible force above her. By now Rhett was accustomed to her nightmares, but what was playing out before him was far worse than anything he had seen before. Without regard for their previous fight, he ran to the bed and jumped on top of her to shake her conscious. He had to shake her and yell her name several times before she snapped out of whatever trance had overcome her.

As she stilled, he saw that she had been sweating profusely and tears were streaming down her pale face. The sight of genuine tears on her overwhelmed him so much that he was nearly pushed to tears himself. Not once had he seen her cry and he didn't really know how to process it when it happened. Rhett was able to drown the urge before Scarlett opened her emerald green eyes, which reflected intense fear and then relief.

"Rhett," she cried frantically reaching for him. He lifted her up to him and she buried her face into his neck as she wrapped her tiny arms around him in a viselike grip. Rhett could feel her trembling and it startled him. Whatever had invaded her nightmare was enough to shake her to her core. He would have given anything in that moment to be able to come to her in her dreams to defend her against such awful forces.

"Talk to me Scarlett. What happened? What did you see?" he asked hoping she would confide in him as he comforted her.

"Oh Rhett, I feel... I feel... I feel awful," was all she was able to utter weakly to him. Taking one of his arms from around her, he gently pushed her head back from his neck so it was in front of him. Putting his hand on her forehead, he was scared by how hot she was. She had developed a terrible fever during the night from her ill-advised trip to the mill to see Ashley. Anger flared up inside him, but her unabashed plea for him to hold her stifled its progress.

"You're burning up. Lay down and I'll get Mammy to come up here to cool you down while I go fetch Dr. Meade," Rhett said gently to her as he laid her head down gingerly on her pillow.

"No," she said while awkwardly moving her head right and left in what he assumed was further protest.

"No what?" he questioned as he tried to get off the bed to make his way to Dr. Meade.

"Don't leave me," she replied earnestly looking him right in the eyes.

To say Scarlett's request surprised him would be an understatement. She was so self-reliant and prideful that normally she wouldn't, but her fever must be impeding her decision making skills. Regardless of why she said it, it still touched him and he decided to fulfill her request.

"If you wish for me to stay, I will stay. Let me send Pork then," he suggested as he stood by the bed looking down at her. All she did was nod her head in favor of his suggestion before she fell back into sleep.

* * *

Dr. Meade's visit did nothing to quell Rhett's fears and had, if anything, made them worse. He informed him that Scarlett was running a dangerously high fever that if not taken care of, could potentially cause a miscarriage and send Scarlett's health spiraling downward. At hearing that Scarlett could miscarry, Rhett swore on his mother that if she did he would kill Ashley with his bare hands by tearing him limb from limb. He refused to lose his baby and her because of Ashley's foolishness so he concentrated his efforts on cooling her down the rest of the day.

Although the situation was grim, Scarlett's delirium (a side effect of the fever) provided endless entertainment. She would run on for minutes about the most ridiculous things from her childhood and Rhett could not resist how charming she was now that her guard was down. He laughed uninhibitedly and even encouraged her to tell more stories while she was conscious, knowing that she would most likely not remember the whole thing when she recovered. It gave him a sort of lease to be himself with her.

She had been asleep for about an hour when she awoke and turned her head up to Rhett, who was sitting beside her on the bed. He started to prepare himself for another episode of hilarity when her expression turned somber.

"Rhett, I think I'm going to die," she stated frankly.

"You're not going to die; you're far too stubborn to put up with that funny business," he replied humorously. If there was anyone in this world who could stand in front of death and scare it away, it was her.

"You don't know that! You're not God!" she said in an overly dramatic fashion, which made him laugh.

"I may not be God, but I'm the closest thing to him that you've got," he remarked knowing she would not appreciate the comparison.

"Fiddle-dee-dee! How you do run on!" she replied with irritation. A silence fell over them after that and he just sat there smiling at her as she looked at God knows what outside when she spoke up.

"Rhett, what would you do if I died?" she asked turning back to him curiously.

"I suppose I'd drink myself to death," Rhett replied before he could stop himself. It's not that his answer was a lie, far from it; it was the truth. He had thought on occasion about what he would do if she died and he never saw a good ending for himself. There was no way he would ever remarry, he could never love another as he loved Scarlett, nor did he see himself living long after she died. The only thing he could picture doing with absolute clarity would be attempting to drown his sorrow in alcohol over losing her and ultimately end up drinking too much one night and dying, which would most likely be welcomed by that point. Although he knew she would most likely not remember he said it, he still didn't feel comfortable knowing he had revealed such a deep, personal secret.

"You mustn't do that! You'll go to Hell!" she said adamantly.

"I have already done plenty of things in my life to get me a one way ticket to Hell, if there is one. My killing myself would probably be the least offensive thing out of the bunch," he replied lightly hoping to steer her into more entertaining topics of conversation.

"You can't go to Hell, Rhett," Scarlett said somberly but firmly.

"Why?" he asked with peaking curiosity.

"Because I'm going to Heaven," she stated as if the answer were apparent. Her confidence in her going to Heaven made Rhett chuckle. Scarlett could be denied flat out at the pearly gates and she would probably find a way to bully herself in.

"And?" he inquired urging her on.

"Well, if I go to Heaven and you go to Hell, I would never see you," Scarlett said simply as a drowsy look began to come over her face.

"Scarlett, why would you want to see me in the afterlife?" he asked with urgency knowing her drowsy look was often followed by sudden sleep. Never had he wanted to know the answer to a question more than now.

"Because you're my husband," she replied quietly as she turned on her side facing him. Sleep was fast approaching and he needed to pry the answer out of her quickly.

"Not good enough! Just because I'm your husband doesn't mean you'd want to see me. Tell me now Scarlett! Why would you want to see me in the afterlife?" he practically barked at her.

"Because I..." was all she was able to get out before sleep claimed her.

"Damn it!" he growled angrily. He could have sworn that she had almost said those three precious words he desperately wanted to hear. Even though she would have stated them in delirium, he didn't care. Rhett just wanted to hear what those words sounded like coming out of her mouth about him. In later years, he managed to convince himself that all she was actually going to say was "because I'm fond of you," her usual brush off comment about how she felt about him.

Rhett, now sitting quietly in his private train cabin, started to wonder if he had been wrong in brushing off her almost profession of love. He was now certain that Scarlett had loved him for years, but had been unable to admit it to herself because she still felt she loved only Ashley. What he would have done if she had confessed love to him then he did not know; he only knew he would have tried harder to make her see how she felt about him.

While the love Scarlett held for Ashley was always an irritant, there was a time when for Rhett that irritation turned into fear. Marrying Scarlett, he knew full-well that Ashley was the king of her heart, but that did not stop him one iota of a second from slipping a wedding ring on her finger. He felt an all-encompassing happiness marrying her and from the look she wore at the altar, she felt the same as well; most likely because she was picturing marrying his money, but the reason did not matter to him. The point was that they were now married and he could have her in any way possible, including intimately.

In initiating intimacy the first time, he knew he had to be delicate about the matter. While never directly addressed, he knew that she did not enjoy relations with her previous husbands and would likely treat it as a duty rather than a pleasure to be had. Intimacy would be drastically different with him compared to them since he knew how to pleasure a woman and not focus on just how he felt. Although he knew it would be him taking her to great new heights, a fear rumbled deep inside him that she would be picturing Ashley making love to her during the act and, God forbid, call out his name instead.

This fear combined with the desire to make their first time together special and significant for her, he held off on making a move until they had spent their first full day in New Orleans. When they finally made it back to the hotel room that night, both were slightly tired and had more than their fair share of champagne. Rhett insisted on helping Scarlett out of her dress and undergarments saying it was not necessary to awaken a hotel maid and surprisingly Scarlett agreed. He delighted in how she shivered under his touch as he helped her out, but he made no remark about it to her.

While she started to comb her hair, he made his way into the dressing room to get himself ready for bed. Taking the pieces of his suit off, he smiled to himself upon thinking of Scarlett's reaction to seeing how little he wore to bed. Judging from her reaction to seeing him in just bottoms, he was sure that old Frank and young Mr. Hamilton wore those ridiculous night dresses to bed. Her insistence that he wear more to bed was met with a threat to wear less if she continued the argument. Most likely sensing he was serious, which he was, she halted her protests but continued to glare. He laughed at her and before she could yell at him, he kissed her until he was sure she wouldn't once they parted.

Exiting the dressing room, he saw that she had already made her way to the bed to flip through one of her magazines. Walking to the bed, he knew that now was the time when he needed to quiet his fears about being intimate with Scarlett so he decided to gently approach her. He extricated the magazine out of her hands and kissed her before she could question him. She was kissing him back, but the ardor with which she normally kissed him was missing. It was obviously out of fear of knowing that kissing was not where it would stop and he started focusing on quieting her fears since he was sure the pursuit would quiet his own.

He picked her up and laid her back down on the bed flat with himself resting on top of her. As he kissed her, he slowly started to hitch her nightgown up her body. When it got to her mid chest, he quickly lifted himself and her to remove it. Her body was shaking beneath him and it concerned him since he didn't know if it was excitement or fear that was causing it. With hope in his heart that she was focused on him and not on thoughts of Ashley, he peeled his lips from hers and started trailing kisses down her neck and onto her chest. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly and he could feel her heart pounding underneath his lips. Encouraged, he started kissing farther down her midsection and had made it to just below her belly-button before she spoke.

"Rhett, what are you... what are you doing?" she stumbled out through heavy breathes.

"I'm kissing you darling," he replied humorously as he continued to kiss the area around her belly-button. He only halted when she laced her fingers in his hair and gently lifted his face so she could look at him.

"But why...why... why there?" she asked with eyes wide with fear.

"Because I can. Is it unpleasant?" Rhett asked mildly.

"Well, no," she replied tepidly.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked without a trace of humor. While he desperately wanted to press on with his kisses, he didn't want to scare her away. Scarlett's face turned a vibrant shade of red in the candle light of the room and she blinked several times in quick succession before looking away to answer him.

"No," she said so quietly he had to strain to hear it. Rhett felt his spirits soar at her admitting in her own way she was enjoying what he was doing and he lightly smiled.

"Then lay back down," he replied kindly taking her hand from his hair and kissing it. She quickly obeyed and he started his kissing again. He trailed them down further until he was just above the spot where he was certain she had never been touched, nevertheless kissed. Taking in a deep breath to quiet his fears, he finally kissed her where he had always wanted to.

Scarlett's body immediately reacted. Her body buckled and she gasped, but she made no protests. Rhett continued to kiss and suck on her sensitive spot until he knew she was on the verge of ecstasy. This was the moment he knew he could find out who she was thinking about while he was making love to her. Terror coursed through him that it would be Ashley and if it was, he knew he would be lying if he said he wouldn't react in a potentially violent manner. He would make no move to harm her physically, but there was a strong possibility he would break every object in the room. Rhett did not know if his heart could handle the potential rejection, but he continued.

As her pleasure increased, his fear did as well. Knowing what it would take to send her over the edge, he made the made the final kiss and prepared himself for the worst. In her release, her body shook violently and in full glory without shame, she cried Rhett's name. Hearing his name cried and not Ashley's was like music to his ears and was all the motivation he needed to make passionate love to her for the rest of the night. Even though she didn't say plainly that she enjoyed the evening, he could tell that she did because she did not rebuff any of his advances and allowed him to introduce new avenues of intimacy without pulling away.

Rhett firmly believed that the only times Scarlett was focused on him with no thoughts for Ashley was when they were intimate. It was the reason he tried to make love to her every night because he thought that with constant relations, he could potentially drive thoughts of him out forever. Of course that was not the case, but it didn't dampen his attempts and just made him try harder. His attempts at this though were stopped when she kicked him out of their marital bed because of Ashley, the very man he was trying to drive away.

Yes, Ashley Wilkes had done irreparable damage to his life and he would never forgive him for that. And now here he was, pulling into Atlanta, willing to admit defeat but only for the purpose of banishing him out of his house as he had somehow convinced Scarlett to do with him in their bedroom all those years ago. They could have each other, but he would be damned if he allowed him to have her in his house, no matter how much he despised the place.

Now was the time for him to seek his revenge on Ashley for all the wrong he had done to him.


	26. Clash of the Titans

_**A/N: I'm happy to see so many of you have enjoyed Rhett's perspective so thoroughly! I must admit it's fun for me to get inside his logical, albeit sometimes irrational mind.**_

_**Now for the chapter whose title I feel needs little explanation...  
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**Chapter 26: Clash of the Titans  
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Atlanta was teeming with raw energy as Rhett Butler stepped off the train into the mid-day sunlight. Flagging down a chauffeur proved to be difficult with the on-slot of fellow passengers trying to get a last minute ride to their destinations, but he was eventually able to settle into a wood carriage that appeared to be as old as its owner. The wizened old man had obviously seen better days, but he still had a friendly face and a kind demeanor that Rhett took to.

"Where can I take you, sir?" the old man asked as they pulled out of the station.

"Peachtree Street," Rhett replied distractedly as he started to notice the stares of the people on the street as he passed. Some were glaring, others looked surprised, and some looked totally confused. The array of emotions that were facing him was baffling, but he just continued to tip his hat politely with a cool disinterest that was irking more people than it was placating. Everyone in town must know about Scarlett and Ashley being together, Rhett thought with irritation. No wonder so many are confused by my being here.

"Peachtree, eh? May I ask what your business is there?" he asked. To most people in polite society, this question would be considered rude and out of place, but Rhett didn't mind. Having started plenty of conversations with comments much ruder than his, he barely considered the question impolite at all.

"Paying a visit to someone," he replied being deliberately evasive wondering if the old man could fill him in on the latest whisperings thinking he was just passing through and the passing of information to him would cause no harm.

"Ah, I see. Do you visit often?" the old man inquired.

"As often as my schedule permits. Why do you ask?" Rhett asked deciding to take the lead of the conversation.

"It just seems as if everyone knows ya is all," he remarked curiously.

"Yes, I've made quite the reputation for myself here," he said through laughter.

"Your reputation can't be too bad. I ain't heard ill words spoken of a visitor such as yourself," the old man chuckled in return.

"Then I haven't been living up to my expectations!" Rhett exclaimed. They both got a good laugh before he continued.

"So tell me, Mr..." Rhett lagged for him to finish.

"Paul," he injected.

"Mr. Paul, who does have a reputation that precedes them here?" he asked knowing this was his chance to catch up on the town gossip before he arrived to the depraved couple.

"This town seems to speak of nothin' but reputations. I cannot begin to tell you how many reputations I have heard smeared in my carriage and none more than that Butler family. I think I know more about that damn family than my own," he proclaimed.

"I'm sure you do," Rhett chortled. "Do you mind my asking what slander you've heard of them?"

"Anything awful you can think of has been attached to that family. From what I gather, they had the most terrible fights and never seemed to get along. Such a shame. I would think that to hate someone that much, you would have to love them with the same amount of passion," the replied with such sadness you would assume that he felt the family's pain personally.

The wizened old man's last statement caused Rhett pause. He did love Scarlett with such intensity that it hurt to think about it, but never had he thought to put the shoe on the other foot. The love and hate he had towards her were like two sides of the same coin. Perhaps Scarlett was only now seeing the love side of the coin after only knowing the hate for years. Rhett might have been more forgiving of her if it wasn't for her current position.

"Wiser words have never been spoken, Mr. Paul. So am I to assume they are still going at it like cats and dogs?" he asked pressing forward.

"Oh, no. You see, he left her several months ago right after their child and a close friend of hers died. I hear he comes back periodically but no one really knows for what. No one had heard from her or seen her for months until last week when she... well..." he trailed off with a faint smile on his face as he turned onto Peachtree Street.

"Until what?" Rhett asked with mounting curiosity. She had apparently done something to stir up controversy before heading to Charleston and he wondered if it had to do with Ashley.

"Well, she... umm... well she was on a train when Mrs. Merriwether and Mrs. Meade saw her and just as she was about to leave she... well... she stuck her tongue out at them," he said quickly knowing it was improper to speak of such disgraces but he failed in his attempt to hide how humorous he thought the gesture was.

"She WHAT!?" Rhett cried through his hearty laughter. The image of her doing it floated into his mind and he could not contain how hilarious he thought it was; it was quintessential Scarlett.

"You heard right," the old man managed through laughter. "And if I dare to say so, no one deserved it more than those nosy old bats."

"You may dare to say so as long as I am permitted to agree with you," he replied still laughing. Mr. Paul was a welcomed relief from the horrifying reason Rhett was there and he was sad he was about to leave him. He enjoyed his company tremendously and would have likely tried to befriend him had he lived in Atlanta.

"This is my stop, Mr. Paul," Rhett said as they pulled up in front of the Peachtree mansion filled with bad memories and still to be discovered harsh realities.

"I always wondered who lived here. Do you mind my asking?" he inquired as Rhett got off of the carriage and made his way around to Mr. Paul's side.

"Certainly not. The infamous Butlers live here," he remarked looking up to the old man to see his reaction.

"You're here visiting the Butlers?" he practically coughed out in shock. His expression clearly showed he feared that he had said far too much to this stranger visiting the Butlers.

"Sort of. Thank you for entertaining me for the last few minutes Mr. Paul. It was a pleasure meeting you," he said knowing that it was one of the few times he actually meant it. Rhett extended his hand to Mr. Paul with a bill in his hand far larger than what was actually owed.

"Of course. And thank you Mr..." Mr. Paul left hanging in the air for him to finish as he took his hand and the bill whose value he failed to see.

"Rhett Butler," he replied with a warm smile. Mr. Paul's jaw dropped and he looked as if he saw a ghost when he said his name. His reaction was amusing to Rhett and he gave him one last reassuring smile to try to convince him that he had said nothing wrong before turning around and making his way up to the path to the monstrosity Scarlett and Ashley were likely calling home.

Walking the path up to his house, he noticed that the bushes were not as finely trimmed as usual and the grass was too long. Scarlett had always been particular about having everything immaculately tended to, so the sight of the lawn and pathway looking less than perfect was perplexing. Reaching the front door, Rhett took the key out of his jacket pocket and inserted it into the door. Taking one final deep breath, he turned the key but noticed it wouldn't move.

That son of a bitch changed the locks! Rhett fumed. Not to be out done by such a simple obstacle, he set down his day bag and removed his pistol from its place on his side. Turning around to make sure no one was about to witness him breaking into his own house, he shot the lock on the door and watched as its brass pieces fell to the ground. Taking no heed for who could be in the entrance hall, he kicked the door in and marched into the house he had left only a few weeks ago.

All of his little thought-out plans of banishing Ashley and Scarlett from the place fell apart as the brass lock on the door had, when he entered. The house was deathly quiet and random pieces of furniture were missing. Rhett blinked several times in confusion thinking that his eyesight had somehow betrayed him until it settled in that something was terribly wrong.

"Scarlett," he called loudly into the house. He was greeted by no response from Scarlett, nor from a maid or house servant who was looking to see what help was needed. Rhett then went about searching the house for any trace of Scarlett and all he found was more missing furniture and a large portion of her wardrobe missing.

In an attempt to resolve how this sight could make sense, he remembered how little furniture the Wilkes' had and what pieces they did possess were far below Scarlett's standards. Scarlett, in living with Ashley, had likely forced him to replace his furniture with her own. It had probably served as a compromise since Ashley was likely the source of why they did not live in the mansion. Ashley was smart enough to realize that residing here would be a slap in the face to Rhett and testing his resolve with being indifferent towards all matters of Scarlett was likely the last thing he wanted to do.

This meant only one thing; rather than living here, they were living at Ashley's. Rhett knew that he should not go there. That now was the time to turn back to Charleston without having caused much of a stir, but a sick sadistic desire to see Scarlett with her honorable Mr. Wilkes pushed him out of the house and in the direction of the Wilkes residence. On the way there, his steps faltered only once when he realized that he did not know what his reaction to seeing them together would be, but he continued anyway.

Knocking on the door, he tried to tame the warring emotions flowing through him. He had left Scarlett, he knew she would likely come here, and yet he was still irate in attaining the knowledge. They were still married after all and the controversy of Scarlett and Ashley living together outside of wedlock would be catastrophic once it made its way into the rumor mill. It was completely unheard of and people would likely be clawing over each other to get a sight of the disgraceful couple. It was then that the door swung open with Ashley standing at the threshold.

"Rhett?" Ashley asked in confusion at seeing him standing on the porch without so much as a notice of his arrival in Atlanta.

Seeing Ashley standing in the doorway with his stupid, confused face, hearing his wistful voice, and the sight of him surrounded by luggage proved to be too much for Rhett to handle. Before he knew what happened, he had punched Ashley in the face so hard his head flew violently sideways and he landed flat on his back crying in pain.

"What the..." Ashley started angrily. His voice sounded somewhat nasally and muffled since he was covering his face in an attempt to stifle the blood pouring profusely out of his nose.

"Where I she!?" Rhett growled down at him without an ounce of remorse for what he had done.

"Where's who?" Ashley shot back as he started to stand.

"What is going on here!?" India yelled from the landing at the top of the stairs looking down on the scene.

"GO AWAY INDIA!" both yelled in unison. She glared down at the both of them and went back to her room, slamming the door shut.

"Scarlett. Where is she?" Rhett spat at Ashley as he drew level with him. He knew Scarlett's belongings had to be in the luggage before him. There was no other reason for luggage to be there.

"How would I know!? Last I knew she was in Charleston with you and the children," he flung at him. Even through Rhett's rage he found Ashley's anger fascinating; never had he seen him so angry nor did he think he was even capable of it.

"Don't lie to me Ashley. You know full well she left Charleston about a week ago and eagerly came back home to Atlanta and I'm assuming to you. Where is she?" he questioned with anger reverberating in every word.

"Why on earth would you assume she came here? Last time I saw her was at Uncle Henry's office to sign over a part of the lumber mill!" he vehemently replied, still attempting to stop the blood flow.

"What do you mean you signed over a part of the lumber mill to her? Why would you do that?" he asked with confusion that was now competing with his anger.

"That's none of your concern. Now kindly take your leave Mr. Butler," Ashley barked at him.

"Oh I will, but first tell me why all this luggage is here," he inquired menacingly.

"Because I'm heading to Charleston. I got a rather threatening letter from Scarlett that if I didn't visit soon she would attempt to gain custody of _my_ son," he said with thick contempt.

"Serves you right. Your negligence of him has led to him wanting my company more than yours. I think I will take my leave of you now Mr. Wilkes. Good day," he replied snidely as he turned his back on Ashley and headed towards the door.

"Damn it Rhett! Are you going to say nothing of breaking my nose!?" Ashley shouted at him. Rhett's progress towards the door stopped at this comment. Fury built inside him as he turned slowly to again face the man who had caused him an insurmountable amount of pain for the better part of a decade.

"You assisted Scarlett in breaking my heart. All things considered, I would say you got the better end of the bargain," he replied smoothly with malevolence that noticeably chilled the room. Taking in the shocked and guilty expression on Ashley's face one last time, Rhett left the room and closed the front door behind him.

Walking out of the Wilkes' house, Rhett started to process all of the information he now had. Before Scarlett had left Atlanta for Charleston, she had somehow acquired a part of the lumber mill from Ashley. Why did she want a part of the lumber mill now? She had Rhett's money to take care of her. And better yet, why did she not tell him of the deal? And surely she would have taken pleasure in chastising Ashley in person for his negligence of Beau, but instead she sent a letter. Why would she do that?

His faint but apparent happiness at her not being with Ashley was overshadowed by one question: Where was Scarlett?

In the hopes of having this and many other questions answered, he made his way toward Uncle Henry Hamilton's office without knowing what answers awaited him.


	27. Broken Vows

_**A/N: The suspense is over! What many of you have hoped to read is now**_**_ here_... _Enjoy!_**

**Chapter 27: Broken Vows**

Uncle Henry Hamilton was sitting in his office gathering some investment paperwork for an upcoming appointment when he was distracted by a commotion in the receiving area outside his office. Forgetting the paperwork in front of him, he strained his ears to catch bits and pieces of what was happening.

"Sir, you cannot go in there!" his secretary Lindy Rolles frantically told the intruder. Lindy was normally incredibly poised and her tone indicated to Henry that whoever was attempting to get into his office had fazed her more than anyone had before.

"I can do whatever I please, now kindly sit back down," the intruder said with only the bare minimum of courtesy required for such a request.

"I cannot! Sir, you need an appointment to see him," Lindy said scrambling for an excuse to get the nuisance to leave.

"Not since the time of Napoleon has anyone been required to have an appointment to see a relative. I give you my word Miss Rolles that I will tell Henry of your gallant attempts to halt my entering, but I do need to go in now. Have a good day," the intruder remarked mockingly as the door knob to the office turned and the door opened.

Rhett Butler, all 6'3" of him, was now standing in the door way with petite Lindy standing dejectedly behind him with an apologetic expression. If Henry wasn't so terrified of the upcoming conversation with Rhett, he would have thought the sight before him was amusing. Lindy, only being 5'4" and weighing no more than 110 pounds, stood no chance of stopping Rhett's massive stature should he have chosen to exert it.

"Mr. Hamilton, I'm so sorry but I could not stop him," Lindy pleaded with Henry as Rhett nonchalantly took a seat in front of Henry's desk; all the while lacking the decency to at least act concerned over causing such distress.

"It's fine Miss Rolles. He's an in-law of mine. Please hold all appointments until otherwise noted," Uncle Henry told her, effectively dismissing her.

"Yes, Mr. Hamilton," Lindy said with relief knowing that he wasn't upset with her. Taking one last glance at Rhett and blushing, out of embarrassment or attraction Henry did not know, she exited the room and closed the door silently behind her.

"How can I help you Rhett?" Uncle Henry asked with frail confidence.

"There's no need to put on airs Henry. You know why I'm here," Rhett replied with calm indifference sprinkled with a healthy amount of irritation.

"I'm sure I don't know the..." Henry started.

"I'm sure you do know since you wrote up with paperwork. Why did Scarlett want a part of the mill?" Rhett asked wanting to start peeling back the layers of Scarlett's disappearance.

"It was not Scarlett's idea for her to attain a stake in the mill, it was Ashley's. She corrected the books and business course and if she hadn't, it would have gone under within a few months. Ashley gave her a stake in the mill as payment for her aid," he briskly replied.

"You're telling me it was solely Ashley's idea?" Rhett questioned with evident skepticism, knowing that Scarlett's motives were never completely altruistic and she had likely manipulated him somehow to that decision.

"Yes, it was his idea," Uncle Henry said irritably. It was offensive that Rhett was insinuating Ashley had not come to that decision of his own free will, but had instead been bullied into it by Scarlett.

"Oh I'm sure," Rhett replied sarcastically and he continued before Henry could interrupt him to defend Ashley's honor. "Putting that matter aside for now, would you mind explaining to me why the house on Peachtree is empty and the locks changed?"

This was the change in conversation Henry feared most, knowing where it would lead, so he decided to get it over with and be frank. "Scarlett is selling it."

"Tell me Henry, when did you take up lying to family?" Rhett asked in an attempt to hide how shocked he was. He knew from the grim expression Henry wore that he was indeed telling the truth, but he felt an uncontrollable desire to protect himself from the truth by deliberately being crass with Henry.

"I am not lying!" Henry spat back, affronted. "She is selling it along with everything inside."

"When did she take all of these actions?" Rhett pressed forward, satisfied that now someone was as upset as him.

"Two weeks ago," he replied simply.

Goddamn what did my visit do to her!? Rhett thought bewildered. He had been beyond courteous during the visit, even staying with her overnight to care for her in her alcohol withdrawals, and yet the second he leaves (after slipping and kissing her forehead no less!) she took all of these absurd actions to distance herself from him and disappeared after her visit to Charleston. Nothing made sense any more. She sent back his money, she sold the prized house she loved so dearly, and then left without telling him where or why. This, combined with her asking him to give their marriage one last try and professing her love for him yet again, equaled confusion in his mind. Rhett wanted nothing more than to have a conversation with Scarlett right now so everything could be explained to him.

"Fine. Now will you inform me of her current residence so that I may speak with her?" Rhett asked ready to leave Henry's office so he could contemplate what he would say to Scarlett.

"No," Uncle Henry replied with strength that was cracked by fear. Here we go, he thought nervously to himself.

"Excuse me?" Rhett asked in a sickeningly smooth, menacing tone.

Taking a deep breath and attempting to swallow the nervousness building in his throat, he responded."You heard me. I said no."

"You have no right to deny me her location! Tell me now Henry," Rhett ordered. What gave him the right to deny him her location? He was her husband after all!

"I cannot tell you Rhett," he replied flatly with mounting anxiety.

"You can and you will. I am her husband am I not!? I have every right to know her location," Rhett finished with palpable anger. It would have blossomed into fury if it hadn't been for Henry visibly blanching at the mention of the word 'husband' and then not responding to his direct question. Trepidation now filled all the cracks inside Rhett's mind.

"Am I not?" he asked sternly hoping his tone would pry an answer out of Henry.

Uncle Henry Hamilton had never felt more scared in his life. Rhett was notorious for having a bad temper and a good shot and Henry wished to not be on the receiving end of either. It was now that he had to extract the divorce papers Scarlett had signed before taking her leave, but he hesitated from not knowing how Rhett would react. He immediately regretted not sending the papers to Charleston sooner. Henry had only delayed in sending them on behalf of Scarlett, who wanted to be long gone before they were served. Bracing himself and not looking Rhett in the eyes for fear of what he would see, he opened a deep drawer in his desk and removed the divorce papers. Holding tightly to them one last time, he then looked nervously into Rhett's black dancing eyes and held the papers out to him across the desk.

Rhett looked passively at the stack of papers in Henry's slightly shaking hands and wondered what they could be. Perhaps they held the answers to why Scarlett had disappeared, so he took them swiftly from his hands. Turning them over to see what they were, the words PETITION FOR DIVORCE stuck out boldly on the top page.

His blood turned to ice and drained from his face, leaving his tanned skin with an odd pale tint. Nausea and lightheadedness were sweeping through him and his insides churned violently. Breathing became labored and he could hear his icy blood thrumming in his ears, deafening him to the outside world. A cloudy film covered his eyesight and his blinking failed to remove it. Through the daze, he was able only to discern his strong desire to be alone.

"Get out," he said quietly to Henry without taking his eyes away from the divorce papers.

"I will not be ordered out of my own office Rhett," he replied as gently as possible, having seen the life force drain out of his face and tangibly feeling the chill that claimed Rhett.

"Get. Out." Rhett growled at him, now meeting his eyes. The fury and devastation radiating off of him was enough to drive Henry to silently nod his head and leave the room as quietly as possible, leaving Rhett alone with his misery.

After regaining some of his bearings, he stood from his seat to cross the room to lock the door. The situation was hard enough without having to deal with the interruption of people walking in unannounced; the irony of knowing that was how he had entered the room was not lost on Rhett. He then sat down in Uncle Henry's seat at the desk to sift through the divorce papers he never thought he would see.

Fully expecting to find outrageous financial demands from Scarlett, he was stunned when he saw that she was asking for nothing. She was not asking for any form of support, be it spousal or child, although she was entitled to them and Rhett would have willingly provided. There was not so much as even a mention of a settlement either. Rhett now knew that she had an idea of the millions he was worth and mostly likely had known when drawing up these divorce papers. She knew as well as he that he could have surrendered to her the entire fortune he had made while blockade running without denting his current opulent lifestyle; so why did she not go after it?

There was a clear division of the assets. Scarlett's properties like the building that housed the bar, the store, half of Pittypat Hamilton's house, lands on the outskirts of Atlanta, the Peachtree house he had put in her name, her one third stake in Tara, and the newly acquired stake in the mill remained hers. Any property in Rhett's name such as the house in Charleston, various land holdings he held along the eastern seaboard and Europe, and the firms that he operated his business out of were not contested by Scarlett. Their business ventures were also kept separated, with Scarlett not asking for any proceeds or interests in his profits. As for their bank accounts, she severed ties and rights to any joint accounts with Rhett along with any account where he was even a subsidiary without withdrawing a dollar.

The way Scarlett had divided everything so cleanly made it as if the marriage had never happened. Neither would receive proceeds from past or future ventures and the house they shared was going to be sold with whatever profits that came out of it going to Rhett, who had bankrolled the building of it. The only tie between them Scarlett had mercifully not severed was Rhett's guardianship of Ella and Wade and had even expressly granted him joint custody.

Although Rhett had left her without much regard for Ella and Wade, he realized after a couple of months that he had made a huge mistake. His all-consuming mourning of Bonnie and subsequently Melanie had blinded him to his desertion of them and after awaking one morning from a night filled with nightmares of their hurt faces at finding out he had abandoned them, he started to plot a way to visit them. He tried to think of a scheme that would allow him to see them that would bring the least amount of interaction with Scarlett. His emotions were still too raw to see her for any prolonged period of time and he was in no mood to hear her further declarations of new found love that were sure to follow. Luckily he had been spared the torture of this interaction when Mammy had somehow found a way to telegraph him without Scarlett's knowledge about the state of affairs with the children and Scarlett's alcoholism. It gave him the perfect excuse to not only visit the children, but to take them back to Charleston where he could have them to visit as often as he pleased.

He enlisted Matheson to go retrieve the children and had given him the letter to give to Scarlett explaining where and why Ella and Wade were being taken. Even though Rhett did not love Scarlett at that point, or had drowned his love long enough to give the illusion of it, he did still care for her and expressed that by asking her to get help. Seeing Ella and Wade arrive in Charleston spread a warmth through his soul that had long been absent. Ella and Wade proved to be the answer to the question of how he was going to start the process of healing. The love and affection they showed him upon arrival in Charleston intensified the feelings he already had for them and soon he forgot that they were not his by blood. This difference had once been his way of justifying blatant favoritism of Bonnie and once it was gone he did not miss it. He had children to care for and those children had, unknowingly, taken up the job of nursing Rhett's shredded heart.

Yes, it was merciful of Scarlett to spare him the separation from his children for he did not know what he would do without them. She could have been selfish and taken them with her to God knows where she was now, but she hadn't and for that Rhett was grateful. As for how he felt about the rest of the document, he was not sure.

Scarlett had set aside her own iron will and granted him what he had asked for numerous times, with the last request being hardly a week ago. Now that it was here, it was not nearly as fulfilling as he had once thought it would be. Matheson knew of Rhett's desire to file for it himself, but no amount of persuasion or prompting convinced Rhett to throw aside the promise he made Scarlett to not file. Divorce had not been so much as an option for her a few weeks ago and now Rhett was currently holding proof of her change of heart. He had been presented with a way out of his broken marriage and he was not going to allow it to go to waste.

Picking up a fountain pen from Uncle Henry's desk, he turned to the final page of the filing and looked at the blank line above the words 'signature of husband.' The blank line was just next to the line labeled 'signature of wife' which had been filled in with Scarlett's abnormally long name for her short 29 years of life. Pressing pen to paper, Rhett signed his full name.

_Rhett Kincaid Butler_

After signing his name, Rhett felt nothing. No glory, no victory, and no freedom. The only emotion surging through him was that he had just done something incredibly wrong. These signed divorce papers in front of him served as proof of the closest Scarlett had ever come to committing a completely selfless act and it was for his benefit. She would have never filed these papers if it hadn't been for him wanting them and his continued rebuffing of her confessions of love. His signature would serve only him, not her. This is not what Scarlett truly wanted in her heart and he knew that as clearly as he knew he still loved her.

For all the pages said, all he saw was her acknowledgment of her faults in their marriage; her unwavering greed, selfishness, and possessiveness over items rather than people. These were her glaring faults and she had now done all she could to rectify them. Scarlett's acknowledgment of her issues was powerful, powerful enough to make Rhett contemplate whether he had ever acknowledged his own.

He had been a cruel, emotionally abusive deserter that punished her for the smallest infraction, all so he could keep his love for her a secret until she confessed love for him. Looking back on it, this course of action was profoundly idiotic. There was no way for her to begin to feel love for him through his constant taunting and condescension. Not to mention she was so young and had experienced more heartbreak and devastation than most would in a lifetime. He failed miserably at being a good husband and confidant and that is why she never knew of her love for him. And what did he do when he received her love, he left. He ran. He did the opposite of what he should have done.

Signing the divorce papers and sending them off would be the ultimate slap in the face. Scarlett did not deserve that and nor did he. All they deserved was each other.

With new resolve burning in his heart and his wedding ring searing his flesh, he stood up from behind the desk with divorce papers in hand. Rhett then made his way across the office to the fireplace that already had a fire raging inside and with a flourish he threw the papers in.

If Scarlett was willing to acknowledge her faults, then she had the right to hear him confess his... as soon as he could find her.


	28. Coast to Coast

_**A/N: I could not have asked for better reviews of the last chapter! Thank you again! I had so much fun exploring Rhett's mind, but now it's time to go back to the belle of the ball.**_

**Chapter 28: Coast to Coast  
**

Four months had passed since Scarlett's splashy arrival in San Francisco, California and she was thriving in the city of fog and dark blue waters. It was through her first and closest friend there, Anysa, that Scarlett had made a name for herself quickly rather than fading into the background as she had originally planned to do; at least for awhile. Anysa was a magnet for scandal and unlike Scarlett, it wasn't entirely done out of conscious effort.

Anysa Lacroix was one of the most gorgeous women Scarlett had ever seen. When she first saw her in the Browning Café about a month after her arrival, she had a difficult time of placing her stunning features to any given nation of origin. Many of her features were distinctly European, such as her almond shaped eyes and high cheek bones, but her other features as a whole were not. This led Scarlett to believe she was of some exotic heritage, but it wasn't until she approached her that she found out that she was in fact, the exact opposite of exotic. She was native.

In revealing that she was Apache, Anysa was met more often than not by glares and an excuse for why the newly informed party had to leave, and Scarlett was no exception to the rule. She had heard many stories of the violence exhibited by the Apaches while on the train and she had no desire to befriend one. Befriending an Indian would also defeat the purpose of staying away from the spotlight, for no matter how high society she was, it was still considered scandalous.

Scarlett believed that there were only two reasons Anysa had been begrudgingly accepted by high society. First and foremost being that she was married to James Lacroix, a man from a family of inconceivable wealth made from owning a mine that practically spewed gold during the Gold Rush. With California being so fresh and new at the time, the wealthy Lacroix's were the family that established the foundation on which high society was now grounded on. Anything they did was accepted without question, no matter how unacceptable said action would be in any other firmly established society. Episodes of unwarranted violence and drunkenness committed by the Lacroix men were all written off without so much as a second thought and the indecencies of the Lacroix women served as gossip, but did nothing to dent their place at the top of any and all social circles in San Francisco.

The second reason Scarlett suspected was behind Anysa's acceptance was her undeniable beauty. While many of her features spoke of her Apache ancestors, such as her long, straight black hair and easily tanned skin, her European assets softened the blow to society's required acceptance of her. Also, while no one was likely to ever admit to it, women and men alike both loved to discuss how her unusual appearance came to be.

Her grandmother Dahteste, a full blooded Apache, had been captured and raped by a Spanish soldier during a skirmish of what was now known as a battle of the Apache-Mexico Wars. Upon her release, she discovered she was pregnant with who would later become Anysa's mother, Kushala. Dahteste attempted to instill a healthy loathing of all Europeans in her daughter, but Kushala ended up falling in love with a wealthy Swedish merchant who came to the West in search of new opportunities. Although Soren Anton loved Kushala to distraction, he refused to marry her out of fear of it destroying his business credibility. However, they wanted to be with each other in any way possible, so Kushala allowed herself to be taken as his mistress; even though both found the term offensive for it did not speak of the love they held in their hearts. Naturally, Kushala eventually got pregnant and although both knew their relationship and the coming baby were illegitimate in the eyes of all, they were excited for the approaching arrival of their child. Labor proved to be too much for Kushala to recover from and she passed away a day after giving birth; a day which she dedicated to holding and kissing her daughter knowing she would not live to see her grow.

Soren's heart was nearly destroyed by the death of Kushala and what remained beat for his daughter. While he did shy away from marrying Kushala, a decision which he would regret till his dying day, he did not shirk away from the responsibilities of a father. He named their daughter Anysa, a name he and Kushala both loved meaning "a completed spirit" in Greek, and gave her his last name because he no longer cared for his reputation.

It was through Soren's money and initial standing in society that Anysa was first begrudgingly accepted in as one of their own. While Soren's Indian child did tarnish his reputation, society showed a level of mercy and did not exile him or his child because she was a joy to behold and secretly all the wives wished their husbands were as attentive to their children as Soren was to Anysa. He showed her off by clothing her in the most luxurious fabrics and designs and he took her to any social event where it was acceptable to bring children. Initial interactions with her were forced, but she was so enchanting a child that it was not long until she was freely invited for play dates with other high society children and her prescience was even looked forward to.

As she grew up, she hit a wild streak and gathered too many beaux too fast and ran around doing as she pleased without regard for standards. Everyone blamed Soren for her unladylike behavior, but above all they blamed her wild Apache blood. Anysa would have cared more about what society expected of her if her father had given a lick himself. Soren adored his daughter and her carefree attitude towards life because it reminded him so much of Kushala's zest for living. There were certain standards he did insist on her maintaining, such as being home before dusk and being properly chaperoned during trips with a beau, but otherwise he let her choose her own path. She had all of the teachings a young woman needed to be a lady, but if she chose not to abide by certain ones then it was her choice. Soren trusted her to do what was best for her and although society as a whole became more and more begrudging of her prescience, there was a member of that society who grew to want her prescience more as the days went by.

James Lacroix was largely considered to be the most desirable of bachelors in San Francisco. He was in his mid-twenties and possessed physical qualities most women found irresistible: tall, muscular, arresting light blue eyes, dark brown hair, and he was lightly tanned. As if he couldn't be more desirable, he was more charming than the knights in shining armor from the romance novels that most women clung to so dearly and he could make even the most bitter of widows laugh till they cried. A side of him that women did not see, but heard of frequently through carefully whispered rumors, was his penchant for prostitutes, liquor, and gambling. While damning on the surface, all it did was add to his allure. Everything about him attracted the fairer sex and he basked in the glory of knowing this until he found someone as wild and free as he.

Having plenty of play dates together as children, James and Anysa had been acquainted with each other for years, but it wasn't until the ball his family threw in celebration of his return from his grand tour that he noticed Anysa for more than a childhood playmate. Plenty of women at the ball were fawning over him in an attempt to get his attention, but he only had eyes for the black haired belle of the ball across the room. He had heard of her crazy antics as of late in letters he received while away and he found the scandalous stories entertaining. Now he could see why she could cause so much trouble and get away with it; she was too gorgeous and too charming to cast out.

After that night, James made a play for her heart and though she resisted at first, she caved into his charms and agreed to marry him. Hearts all over San Francisco broke when news of the engagement was announced, but James and Anysa were too in love to care. Never had Anysa been so entranced as when she looked into his icy-blue eyes and the same went for him when looking into her puzzling sea-green eyes that looked either more blue or more green depending on the lighting of the room.

The couple had an extravagant spring wedding paid for in-full by Soren, who could not be prouder of his daughter for capturing the love of a Lacroix son. It meant to him that her social stature would never be challenged again and she would always be taken care of. The Lacroix family was baffled at first that he would chose "that Indian girl" to marry over any number of respectable European women, but their relief in James settling down and giving up his over-the-top bachelor lifestyle won out. What no one understood was that everyone's opinions barely mattered to them, for they were both wild horses who had finally found another to run with.

It was this wild spirit that Scarlett sensed during her first interaction with Anysa and what ultimately drew her back. Anysa could have been bitter and cold towards Scarlett for treating her so disrespectfully after their first meeting, but she could be a forgiving woman when the desire possessed her and she allowed it to do so for Scarlett. She sensed a kindred spirit in her, but something troubled her. Through all the animated talking and niceties that Scarlett put on, Anysa sensed a deep, permeating sadness inside her new friend. It was only after a month of knowing each other and an indiscernible amount of conversations that Scarlett felt safe enough to reveal her secret.

Speaking of Rhett Butler out loud for the first time in months hurt Scarlett, but Anysa was more understanding than Scarlett had any right to expect and once she started talking, she found she couldn't stop. Scarlett revealed in a flurry how awful her conduct towards the end of their marriage had been, all the way through to when she filed for divorce and their final night together. Anysa passed no judgment on her and was a comforting force, but Scarlett made her leave her room in the Palace Hotel in a fit of impotent rage when she suggested that Rhett must have had an equal role in the dissolution of their marriage. Deep down Scarlett knew it was true, but she refused to hear it. She could barely contend with her role in it as it was; she couldn't find room yet to consider how at fault he was.

Within the same week of spilling her darkest secrets to Anysa, Scarlett got a package from Uncle Henry. Inside were statements and projections pertaining to the mill along with a copy of its books for her to go over; there were also letters from Wade and Ella inside along with a large one from Uncle Henry. Knowing that Henry's letter would discuss the pending divorce and her children's letters might mention them finding out about it, Scarlett ignored them by setting them aside and went through the impersonal mill paperwork first.

She allowed herself to smile at seeing how the mills were doing. Now that she had corrected the books and business path, the mills were outperforming what she had conservatively thought they would do that business quarter and were on track to turn out a pretty profit the next quarter as well. If it had not been for that Yankee hotel going up, the business might not have survived. The books looked relatively free of errors and what ones were there were easy fixes. It also helped that the store was flourishing as well. She had plenty of money coming in now and it was coming in the way she loved best, through her efforts.

No longer able to distract herself from reading Uncle Henry's letter, she tore into it and found that it made for a captivating read. Apparently some idiotic Yankee couple with money to burn thought the Peachtree mansion was stunning and bought it along with all of its contents. The price they paid for everything somehow managed to turn a profit on the house and the money had been sent to Rhett, as per her requests.

Speaking of Rhett, not only did he deny the deposit of the Peachtree mansion money, he had caused quite the stir in Georgia and South Carolina. Uncle Henry's scroll became slanted and crowded at this point in the letter, so Scarlett figured he had been very excited while writing this particular section. Arriving in Georgia about a week after her departure from Charleston, he had single-handedly infuriated half of Atlanta over the course of just a few minutes by simply tipping his hat in an overly mocking fashion to the old fat cats in the streets. That must be some sort of record, Scarlett thought humorously.

The letter then took a dark turn though because Rhett had, at some point, shot the lock off of the front door of the house and then assaulted Ashley in his own home, breaking his nose in two places. God's nightgown! Why would he do that? Scarlett thought, bewildered. He then stormed into Uncle Henry's office unannounced, where he received the divorce papers.

Scarlett had to pause when she read about him going into Henry's office, knowing that his divorce demands would be next for her to read. Collecting her spirits as much as humanly possible, she continued on.

Upon entering Uncle Henry's office, Rhett had demanded Henry to explain to him the terms of the mill deal and why the house had different locks. After explaining a portion of the mill deal and the fact that Scarlett was selling the house, Rhett then asked for Scarlett's location. Henry insisted to Scarlett that he had not disclosed her location to Rhett, which apparently angered him to the point of almost shouting. It was at this point that Henry handed Rhett the divorce papers.

At seeing the divorce papers, Henry described Rhett's shocked silence and then abrupt order for Henry to leave his own office. He did not know what happened during the half hour or so while Rhett was alone, he just knew that Rhett left with a solemn face and all traces of the divorce papers were gone; presumably into the fire.

The rest of the letter was hearsay Henry had gathered from the rumor mill that Rhett had sent into overdrive over the following days. In the night hours on the day of his arrival, he went to a gambling hall where he drunkenly got into a standoff with a still drunker Virginian who felt not only cheated out of $1,000, but wronged by Rhett's persistent taunting. While a shoot out thankfully didn't happen, a brawl broke out that would've made a saloon jealous. With the hall effectively destroyed, the men flooded into the streets and started to disperse, but not before several of them saw a bleeding Rhett enter Belle Watling's establishment.

When he left Belle's in the early hours of the morning for the train, he had not changed out of his bloodied clothes and he looked disheveled. Dr. Meade led the charge for a group of men from the Old Guard to confront Rhett at the train station for his dishonorable behavior in Uncle Henry's office and the gambling hall. Rhett, refusing to stand for it, cut Dr. Meade and the rest of the group to pieces with his sharp tongue by spouting off certain, shall we say, indiscretions he knew they had committed over the years but kept quiet. Uncle Henry wrote that it was no business of Scarlett's to know of what those indiscretions had been. The small mob Dr. Meade had assembled broke up after the public shaming Rhett bestowed upon them; the repercussions of which were still being contended with in Atlanta.

Due to the scene he caused in Atlanta, people were eager to hear any news of him and his arrival in Charleston. Rather than stirring controversy, it added a confusing and mystifying note to what he had done. His arrival in Charleston was marked by him removing Ella and Wade from school for a week. During that week he could be seen buying them extravagant gifts from shops all over Charleston, taking them to expensive restaurants every night, and enjoying boat trips to the surrounding islands. After dropping them off at school at the end of the week he had, for all intents and purposes, vanished without a trace. No one had seen him and nobody had heard from him. He was gone.

A stunned Scarlett then quickly grabbed for her children's letters to see if they had discussed Rhett's conduct during that week in Charleston before he left and potentially where he had gone. Ella, rather than writing a letter, had drawn pictures with sentences describing what was in the pictures. She had drawn a picture of her best friend Dana along with several pictures of outfits and toys Rhett had bought her. A drawing of an island played prominent on one of the papers with the sentence below it reading "Daddy took me and Wade here today! I wish you were with us." This tore at Scarlett's heart. She was, surprisingly, already missing her children and that simple "wish you were here" was enough to make her want to board a train back to Charleston as soon as possible. Ella was such a vivacious child and Scarlett felt an unbearable amount of shame when thinking about how she had shunned her for the first few years of her life. How long it would be until Scarlett forgave herself, she did not know. Putting aside Ella's drawings, she tore into Wade's letter.

_Dear Mother,_

_I thought you would appreciate knowing Uncle Ashley came to Charleston to spend time with Beau. He did look a fright with his nose swollen and eyes blackened, from what he would not say, but Beau was excited he showed nonetheless. Beau wanted me to thank you for making sure he came._

_Last week Father withdrew me and Ella from school for a week. He did not say why, but neither of us complained. School has been getting difficult and a break from it was welcomed._

_The first place he took us to was the tailor. It doesn't seem like it was so long ago when he had new wardrobes made for us, but he insisted on it. I'm expecting my new suits to be delivered soon and Ella is expecting an ungodly amount of dresses, all of which Father encouraged her to get._

_Our boat trips to the islands around Charleston were fun! Father told us many stories about his blockade running during the war; I suspect they were embellished slightly but if not, it's a wonder he's still alive. By the way, did you know his grandfather was a pirate!? He told us so while we played pirates on the boat and it would surprise me not one bit if this was truth._

_Father seemed to be acting normally for the most part during the week until a dinner towards the end of my and Ella's week with him. Ella, again, brought up that girls at her school were saying you and Father were getting a divorce when he, showing irritation towards her for the first time in long as I can remember, snapped and said, "You can tell all of them that we are never getting a divorce, ever!" He immediately apologized for snapping at her, but that didn't stop her from crying. She only calmed down after he bought her a scoop of strawberry ice cream and promised her a new doll._

_Throughout the week there were plenty of times when Ella or I would say something about you and whenever we did he looked distant, as if he wasn't there. He would not confirm or deny my suspicion and all he said when I asked him what he was going to do now that Ella and I were back in school was "Find something I lost." I wonder if the lost something that he was referring to is you, especially considering that he is no longer in Charleston. While I do respect your decision to move away, I must ask you to see him if he finds you. Father loves you, I know he does._

_I hope all is going well for you. What is it like in California? Is it as beautiful and exciting as you hoped? Please write soon and be sure to schedule a visit with us again. I miss you._

_Love,_

_Wade_

The three letters before Scarlett left her with a desire to faint, which she was sure she had never wished for before. Initially angered that he had gone to see that Belle troll while in Atlanta, her elation at him not wanting a divorce cancelled out any negative emotion attempting to claim her. But she then started to absorb what he had done after finding out about the divorce papers she filed. Was he now trying to find her? Or had he simply run away again? Questions like these kept bouncing around in her mind and she needed a clear head to help her sort them out.

Anysa was getting ready for afternoon tea with James' sister Cassandra when Scarlett called on her unexpectedly. She was thankful that Anysa saw how upset she was and without pause cancelled her tea date. Scarlett started telling her the details of the letters and how she had no idea what Rhett's actions meant. It was then that Anysa interrupted Scarlett to call her a blind fool and urged her to go back to Charleston to not only see her children, but to see if she could find any information as to where he might have gone. Electing to not get into a fight with Anysa for calling her a fool, Scarlett glazed over it and agreed she needed to go back.

Unfortunately for Scarlett, her visit to Charleston turned up nothing. Matheson claimed he knew nothing of Rhett's location, as did his mother and sister. There was nothing left in the house that would give a hint either and Clive was just as surprised as everyone else when he left. Scarlett stayed in Charleston for a week to see Ella and Wade, she did not remove them from school as Rhett had, but they had a great time having lunches and going to various sights. After promising to visit again soon, she departed with no news of Rhett but with plenty of happiness knowing her children were doing so well.

In her return to San Francisco, Scarlett stopped wallowing in her sorrow of her broken marriage and started to heal herself by vowing to live again. She had Anysa escort her to tea dates, social events, and dances so she could start to build a new group of friends. Scarlett so missed dancing and not only going to one, but having her dance card filled, made her feel like she was 16 again. At 29, Scarlett was pleased that she could still be the belle of the ball. Even though she was having the time of her life, never did she stop wondering of what had happened to Rhett, nor did she remove the emerald necklace which had served as his last gift to her before he disappeared. Rhett was now as lost to her as she was to him.


	29. Shot Through the Heart

_**A/N: Just to clarify something for everyone on here, Scarlett is indeed NOT pregnant. I reject the notion that she is some fertile Myrtle and Rhett never shoots blanks. LOL!**_

_**Again, thank you all for the reviews! I'm happy some of you are actually enjoying Scarlett's time away in San Fran :)  
**_

**Chapter 29: Shot Through the Heart  
**

"Keep eating those squares at that rate Scarlett and you'll eat half the chocolate in San Francisco by nightfall," Anysa chuckled.

"It'll serve everyone right for not enjoying them at the rate that they should," Scarlett replied as she picked up yet another Ghirardelli chocolate square.

Anysa and Scarlett had decided to spend the day carousing around some sights in San Francisco and the first place they went was to the chocolate and coffee shop, Ghirardelli. Scarlett had grown quite fond of the place and enjoyed coming as often as possible. It was also likely part of the reason she had regained the weight she had lost after Rhett had left and a few more pounds to boot. As time passed, she found that she no longer cared as much about her weight as she had in the past. Not to the point where she was willing to become as big as those old peahens in Atlanta, but to where her supple curves took on a more voluptuous appearance. Surprisingly, she was even more satisfied with her new body than she had been as a girl with a 17-inch waist.

"I really must stop you now my dear! If you continue you'll lose your appetite for lunch and you know how that upsets James!" Anysa laughingly protested as she finished her coffee.

In the months after her arrival and as her relationship with Anysa grew, Scarlett became increasingly close with James. Although he was attractive and would have undoubtedly been a target of her charms when she was a belle, she found that her attraction to him was strictly platonic, as was his attraction to her. It was through his guidance along with Anysa's unfaltering support of her that she was taken into society without a hitch.

Through the initial few months of their acquaintance, he saw a happy Scarlett on the surface, but his sixth sense was as keen as Anysa's and he knew something was wrong. James' first clue to it was the way she ate, or better yet, the way she struggled to eat. While it was still considered ladylike to eat in such a way in public, Scarlett held little consideration for many social norms so he found it peculiar for her to hold onto that particular one when his own wife, her closest friend, did not. One day he sat her down and asked point-blank, in a most ungentlemanly fashion, why she ate so sparingly. After minutes of protesting and arguing, she confessed to him the source of her troubles and its affect on her eating habits. From that day forward, she was forbidden to eat so lightly when in his prescience and if she did, he stayed at the table with a reproachful expression until she cleared her plate. Eventually the habit of clearing her plate transcended dinners with the Lacroix's and she began to eat as voraciously as she did on her honeymoon with Rhett. This pleased the Lacroix's to no end, as well as Scarlett, and her relationship with James grew from there.

"You know, one of these days I'm going to make sure I don't clear my plate just to irritate him," Scarlett joked. "But today won't be that day. You know how I love Gioia."

"That's why I insisted on it. Now finish your coffee and we can get going to the tailor. There's a lot of fittings and fabric selecting ahead of us before lunch," Anysa said with a wink.

Scarlett and Anysa were both looking to rejuvenate their wardrobes with the latest fashions for the upcoming fall season. Many balls were already in the process of being planned and Scarlett intended to wear a beautiful new dress to each one, seeing as she was invited to all of them. Unlike in Atlanta where she was a social pariah, the great people of San Francisco took her in and appreciated her for what she was. They loved the stories of scandal that came along with her and her self-assured attitude. San Francisco's love for her even helped to gloss over Anysa's own begrudging acceptance since she was the one who brought her in.

Being the center of attention suited Scarlett just fine and she loved the privileges it afforded her. She could wear fitted, low-cut dresses that pushed the bounds of fashion and face praise rather than criticism. Instead of sticking to society's usual limit of one glass of wine at dinner for women, she had as many as she pleased. Rather than keeping to herself as any woman in her position normally would, they supported her being social and flirting with men.

The position Scarlett had put herself in was that of a woman in limbo between hope and mourning. As far as the public knew, her husband, Captain Rhett Butler, was lost at sea after an ill-fated business trip to South America over a year ago. People allowed her to carry on with hope that he was still alive (as she hoped her marriage was), which meant that she could conduct her business as if she had every right to still be happy. However, everyone acknowledged in private that he was most likely dead and that made her one of the most eligible women in San Francisco. It was only the Lacroix's who knew the truth about Rhett and why she was both hopeful and sad in relation to him.

Men coveted Scarlett as if she was a young woman again and she would be lying if she said she didn't revel in the attention. She enjoyed knowing that men still desired her and while she allowed them to court her to a point, it lacked the appeal the prospect once held. Scarlett's heart still ached for Rhett and not knowing where the hell he was was aggravating. She thought, with amusement, that her story about a missing husband was truer than most knew.

"Scarlett your eyes are as glazed over as the doughnut you had awhile ago. Is something wrong?" Anysa asked, effectively yanking Scarlett out of her reverie.

"No, not at all. Let's get going," she replied as she stood from her seat.

* * *

Scarlett had already selected the fabric for her new dresses and was now sifting through more samples to select the fabric for a new long coat. She had put several samples to the side for consideration when she was taken aback by one towards the bottom of the swatch pile.

The blue velvet swatch was lying there, innocuous as can be, when she stumbled upon it. Touching the fabric gingerly, she closed her eyes and was instantaneously inundated with images of Bonnie in her blue velvet riding habit. Before she knew what she was doing, Scarlett ran out the backdoor of the tailor's shop and threw up in the back alley.

"Scarlett, honey, what's wrong? What happened?" Anysa asked as she quickly pulled Scarlett's hair out of her face.

"Bonnie. I saw Bonnie," Scarlett managed to gasp out as she tried to regain composure. It wasn't that she feared Anysa's reaction to her emotional outburst, she had witnessed many of them over the past few months; it was the fact that she was in public that made her want to compose herself quickly so no one else saw.

"What do you mean you saw Bonnie?" Anysa posed, evidently confused.

"The swatch in there, the blue velvet one, it was the same fabric her riding habit was made of. I picked it up and..." she trailed off as she looked into Anysa's eye which held nothing but concern.

"Oh I'm so sorry sweetheart. And you've been doing so well with coping lately," Anysa soothed.

Over the past several months, Scarlett had made a conscious effort to stop mourning the passing of Bonnie. Not so she could forget her, she could never do that, but so she could think of her and feel joy in the fact that she lived rather than depression because she had passed. This was the best way she could think of to honor Bonnie's memory; after all, she was such a ray of light that to think of only sadness when thinking of her was almost sacrilegious. She would deliberately stay awake for hours into the night thinking of her until a happy memory of her no longer inspired depression and spurred genuine laughter instead, as it should have. It had become easier to do this as the months passed and she was now at the point where she could look at the goofy family portrait the family had taken about a year before her passing and laugh freely.

The family portrait Scarlett loved looking at had been a happy accident. Instead of the serious one she had hoped for, what she got was a candid moment provided by Bonnie and Ella. Scarlett could remember that day vividly. The girls had been picking on each other back and forth the whole day and any attempt by her or Rhett to stop them had fallen on deaf ears. They continued to pull each other's hair, trip each other, steal the other's toys and hide them, or pinch each other's arms. Once at the photographers, Scarlett and Rhett threatened to take away dessert from whoever caused trouble during the shoot. Both promised to do nothing, but once everyone was in position for the picture Bonnie pinched Ella behind the arm, causing her to yelp. The resulting picture featured a retaliating Ella punching Bonnie in the arm, Bonnie screaming, Wade rolling his eyes, and Scarlett and Rhett wearing the same affronted look while reaching towards the girls to separate them. Though furious at the time, they couldn't help but laugh at the resulting picture and ordered several of them made; they elected to have none of the serious ones printed. Scarlett had kept this photo with her in her move to California and counted it among her prized possession.

"I have been, but that fabric was just too much and so unexpected," Scarlett feebly replied.

"Listen, why don't we cancel lunch with James and head back to my place instead? You can rest there if you like," she suggested, knowing that Scarlett often became tired after thinking of Bonnie.

"That won't be necessary," she said regaining her bearings more by the second. "Besides, I've been looking forward to lunch with James all week. He's been far too busy with work you know."

"Yes, I know he has been looking forward to today as well. Why don't go ahead and leave now then?" Anysa asked.

"Sure, but first I'm ordering my long coat be made from that blue velvet. I'll be damned if I ever react like that to fabric again."

* * *

Instead of walking the ten or so blocks to Gioia, Scarlett and Anysa rode the cable cars through the hilly streets. The cable cars were so fun to Scarlett that she rode them whenever she could, although it wasn't as often as she liked since there weren't too many lines yet. Scarlett always chose to stand and hold onto the railing over sitting down, now more than ever because she needed the wind blowing past her face to calm her nerves after seeing the blue velvet. Her hair was obviously not a priority at this point and it never was when her destination could be reached on the cable car.

Reaching Gioia, Scarlett and Anysa jumped off their ride and made their way into the Italian restaurant. She attempted to tame her black hair back into the neat ringlets they had started the day as when James walked in laughing with an older gentleman.

"Father!" Anysa shrieked loudly in excitement as she ran to embrace her father. Scarlett always felt a pang of jealousy at seeing them together since she missed her own father so much. She had only met him a few times, but she enjoyed his company immensely.

"Mr. Anton," Scarlett greeted cheerfully as he made his way around the table to greet her after Anysa finally released him from an embrace.

"Scarlett, darling, please call me Soren. You're too dear to my Anysa to be so formal with me," he replied as he kissed her hand.

"Soren," Scarlett corrected graciously before she turned her attention to the beaming James. "You have some explaining to do James! Of all the days you choose to bring along such an important guest I look awful! If I had known he was coming I would have done my best to look decent," she playfully scolded.

"Self-deprecation was never a good look on you Scarlett. However, it does look a right side better than you do right now," he teased as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

"You're a cad James. You better watch what you say during this lunch or I'll be forced to retaliate," she joked as everyone took their seat at the table.

"I'd be willing to bet that's the most warning a man has ever received before having to face your wrath. You're either sick or getting soft of spirit; either way I don't like it," he chided in return.

"Hush you two," Anysa laughingly chimed in, stopping the playful back and forth. "Now Scarlett was right in saying an explanation is in order. I had no idea you were coming Father. Last I knew you were in England."

"I was in England, but decided to come home early. Only James knew because I wanted to surprise you. It has been far too long since I have surprised you dearest," Soren said, obviously proud that he had surprised his daughter.

"I pride myself on my ability to sniff out a surprise before it happens," she giggled. "But, either way, I'm happy you're here Papa."

"Me too. Now I've been here for a couple of hours with no opportunity to eat. So let us order our food first!" he replied as he picked up a menu to see Gioia's lunch selection.

The lunch went on with much merriment as Soren recounted his travels, with much humor and embellishment Scarlett assumed, and told of all the presents he brought for Anysa and James, their twin boys George and Dom, and even Scarlett. She always enjoyed the presents he brought her. It made her feel as if she had her father again and she suspected that's why he brought her gifts. He always thought to bring her something from his travels and this small gesture always made her feel loved and grateful. Although she was not close with him, she had a great amount of respect for him and all he did for his family.

"That reminds of something I've been meaning to ask," Soren said after James mentioned the now nearly depleted gold mine outside of the city. "Scarlett, is your husband Rhett of the Charleston Butlers?"

"Yes, he is. Why do you ask?" she replied wondering why he would ask such a question. He always seemed to tiptoe carefully around the subject of her disappeared husband, so his direct question was out of character.

"I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable. I was just asking because I believe I knew your husband a few decades ago," he smiled kindly.

"Really?" Scarlett asked intrigued. "How?"

"Your Rhett participated in the gold rush, did he not?" he asked.

"Yes he did," she replied proudly, although why she did she was not sure.

"Well then I did know of him," he said laughing heartily. "My dear, did you know your husband is the embodiment of the old adage 'don't bring a knife to a gun fight?'"

"No," Scarlett said laughing. She was surprised someone here remembered of who he was and they thought of him in good terms rather than bad. It was interesting and she desperately wanted to know more. "Why do you say that?"

"Now I don't know the whole story, but I do know some of the facts. Did you know he was stabbed while out here?" he inquired.

"Oh yes! He still has the scar on his stomach," Scarlett revealed, blushing that she had said something so private. No one seemed to notice though since Soren went on as if nothing so personal had been revealed.

"Well, all I know is that he got it one night while protecting a pretty pile of gold he had discovered in a mine. He had fallen asleep next to it and during the night a miner who had not nearly as much luck as he, stabbed him in the hopes that it would kill him so he could take his gold. Either that Rhett of yours had fallen asleep with one eye open or had not fallen asleep at all because when that man stabbed him, he pulled a pistol out from beneath his head and shot him," Soren laughed recalling the old story. Everyone at the table laughed, including Scarlett, who was in disbelief of how good an aim Rhett had even while asleep.

"That sounds like my Rhett," she replied once she could control her laughter. "You know, he once told me he could drill a dime from fifty yards!?"

"That would surprise me none! His aim is practically legendary; even here," Soren winked at her. It was then that Scarlett regaled them with her retelling of the duel he had participated in as a youth, much to everyone's amusement. After only talking about him in depressing terms for so long, it was pleasant to finally speak of him in a bright light.


	30. The Comforts of Cymopoleia

_**A/N: Your reviews, as always, were fantastic. Thank you! 3**_

**Chapter 30: The Comforts of Cymopoleia**

Whenever Scarlett felt a touch of melancholy she would go to the beach near the Palace Hotel, where she had been living since her arrival, and sit on a bench to watch the waves crash into the sand. The sight soothed her over-strained soul at these times and she often sat there for an unaccountable amount of time. She liked imagining herself throwing her worries into the waves to be crushed by their otherworldly power as she sat and watched in content silence.

The worry that took her there that day was loneliness. She felt wrong for feeling it on one hand, knowing she had more than most, having a loving best friend, friends who liked her for who she was, and money to burn; California had seemingly breathed new life into her. Her life seemed perfect on paper, but there was always the nagging thought that she would trade it all for Rhett. Everything she had ever wanted, things she now referred to as her surface desires, were now hers and she found they were not worth having without someone to share them with. His prophecy from so long ago that if she had everything her heart seemingly wanted most, the price to pay would be her isolation. Scarlett's amount of loneliness was surpassed only by the amount of money she had piled in the bank and the number of admiring friends she had to call on for tea.

Loneliness was easy to ignore when with friends, but it was at night when she could avoid it no longer. Scarlett's nightmares were becoming increasingly vivid and as they did, she came to dread sleep more and more. It was always the same dream: running through a thick, all consuming fog towards Rhett. Only it was now taking a different, more terrifying turn. He would allow her to catch up to him just so he could glare at her; glare at her with his black eyes blazing with disgust and hatred. Her first impulse was to always reach up and touch his cheek in an attempt to wipe that expression off his face, but when she would touch him, he would blanch violently; as if her touch burned him. He would then quickly jerk away from her and disappear, leaving her alone filled with an unnameable, crippling ache in her chest. Waking up from these nightmares she always found she was covered in sweat, tears streaming down her face, and the ache in her chest from her dream still lingered; a reminder of his rejection.

It was his rejection that hurt her more than any other pain she had experienced in her life and it seemed to only be getting worse. She knew that his rejection was the price to pay for rebuking him and the viciousness she had shown him for well over a decade, but when Scarlett looked back she could not help feeling that she had been cheated, wronged, played unfairly by life. So much was now lost to her; lost forever to the unrelenting continuation of time. Her parents were dead, a best friend who loved her and stuck by her side in trying times taken away in her try to bear another child, an unborn child whom she loved dearly but never met rejected from her womb after a fall, and her dearest Bonnie Blue whose life had been cut tragically short by an accident. Add to all that the loss of Rhett's love, which she had depended on but failed to see, left her feeling as if life was hardly worth living. What kept her going when these moments set in were her children that were still alive.

Wade and Ella were flourishing in Charleston. The two treks she had made back during her time living in California were proof of that. Her visits were eagerly anticipated by them, as well as her, and helped them form a bond that had been absent for far too long. Both were forgiving of her earlier short comings as a mother, but she suspected that their forgiving did not extend to forgetting; especially for Wade. Although he was always overjoyed to see her, she could still tell there was shock beneath the surface at her arrival. Through time and work, she hoped it would go away someday. Even though she did not ask them for fear of how she would react, she still came into the knowledge from them that Rhett's disappearance included them as well, but thankfully only in the physically being there kind of way. He wrote to them regularly, although he never alluded to where he was, and sent presents of clothes and hats to Ella and books and sporting equipment to Wade. On visits to see her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, the title of being in-laws still shocked her knowing how close a divorce had been, they were sweet and caring towards her, but she always wondered if they, just below the surface, blamed her for Rhett's disappearance. If they did, they never showed it, and Scarlett was grateful for this. She loved them too much and if a schism were to be formed between her and them as well, she wasn't sure she could bare the additional item to her list of losses.

Scarlett allowed these thoughts to swim to the surface as she continued to stare dejectedly at the ocean waves. It was only as she tried to push the thoughts aside that she began to feel something else, something entirely out of her control. The feeling of someone staring at her seeped in to conscious thought and it made the hair on the back of her neck rise. She tried to ignore it, but the feeling persisted. Just as she was about to turn around to see if her instincts were correct, she felt a hand on her shoulder blade and a swift kiss on the cheek.

"How did I know I would find you here?" James asked as he took a seat on the bench beside her.

"Because you're a stalker," Scarlett teased, thankful for the reprieve from her dark thoughts.

"I am no more a stalker than you are an innocent southern belle. You have become a creature of habit, my dear," he said glancing at her, knowing full well she came here often to rid herself of worry.

"I suppose I have. You can't blame me for this habit though. Weren't you the one who showed me this spot after all?" she replied turning the tables on him. She knew he came here often as well, only for him it was just for the view; not to exercise himself of demons as she was.

"I was; I didn't know you'd take so well to it so well though," he smiled. "How long have you been here?"

"I'm not sure," Scarlett said honestly. "Awhile I suppose."

"Probably longer than you intended. Assuming, of course, that you were still wanting to have dinner with Anysa and I?" he asked lightly.

"God's nightgown! Have I really been here that long!?" she questioned, more to herself than to him. It had been around noon when she arrived and she had promised to have dinner with the Lacroixs at 6.

"Time does seem to cease to exist here doesn't it?" James laughed to further lighten the mood.

"Yes, and it also seems that is now a curse and a blessing," she giggled as she continued to stare at the ocean, concentrating on the island to her left of her. "I do still want to have dinner with you two! Is it too late?"

"Not if we leave now," he replied as he stood and extended his arm.

"Why have you and Anysa never taken me there?" Scarlett asked, still staring at the island.

"Taken you where?" he inquired, puzzled.

"There," she replied, pointing to the island. His hearty laughter startled her and caused her to chuckle in response. Why he was laughing she was not sure, but it was a welcomed sound.

"Believe me Scarlett that is the last place here in beautiful San Francisco that you want to go" he finally replied through laughter.

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"Because that's The Rock," James said with a grin.

"The Rock?" she said, unsure if that was supposed to mean something to her.

"Alcatraz," he clarified.

"Alcatraz?" Scarlett asked, starting to get irritated that she was now the butt of some private joke James was having with himself.

"Scarlett, it's a military prison," he finally revealed, still chuckling. "Or at least it was during the Civil War. Many of your boys in grey were kept prisoner there."

"You're kidding! The War really got all the way out here!?" she asked, shocked. She had assumed that The War had never made it this far.

"Not nearly what it was in Atlanta, but yes, I guess you could say it got out here too. Come now, it's time for dinner and I'm sure you're starving," he urged.

She stood and took his arm to leave, when she decided to ask a question that had bothered her since his arrival. "James, how long were you watching me before you came over?"

"Watching you? I thought we established that I'm not a stalker," he joked. "I wasn't watching you at all. I just marched on over when I saw you were here. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Scarlett replied quietly. As she began to question her own sanity, she started walking with James towards dinner.

* * *

"Have you decided on a dress yet for the bazaar next week?" Anysa asked eagerly over dinner.

Both Anysa and Scarlett were looking forward to the upcoming bazaar that would close out the summer season and welcome the fall. It was being held in the sprawling backyard of the Lacroix family estate by James' parents, Thomas and Minerva. Although called a bazaar, it was known by most that it was simply a massive ball paraded as a bazaar to make everyone feel better about spending obscene amounts of money at it. Scarlett had been to many balls while in San Francisco, but this was the one she most eagerly anticipated. The Lacroix parties were practically legendary and she was looking forward to seeing if all the talk was true.

"Not yet. I'm stuck between choosing the red velvet dress or the green silk gown and occasionally that blue taffeta dress crosses my mind. Do you remember them?" Scarlett asked, hoping Anysa could help eliminate an option or two for her. All three dresses were flattering to her figure and her favorite to wear for the bazaar was constantly changing.

"Of course! And I insist that you wear the green silk! It's stunning on you," Anysa flattered. "You must come over and help me choose my dress though. I'm at a loss for which one to choose and James has been no help in the matter," she playfully chided him.

"I did my part! I told you that you look stunning in anything but I will always prefer you in noth..." he started with the look a naughty child wore when knowingly crossing some arbitrary line.

"Hush hush hush!" Anysa scolded giggling before he could finish his scandalous comment. If Scarlett had been privy to this conversation a year or two ago, she would have blushed furiously and pretended to not hear it, but that level of modesty in her was long gone. She had grown accustomed to the scandalous way Anysa and James spoke to each and had even grown to envy their playful banter. It was obvious to anyone who saw them how in love and attracted they were to each other, something her and Rhett never shared. Oh he had tried in small ways to show it towards the beginning of their marriage, by kissing her cheek for a second longer than was decent or by always having a hand possessively on her, but that all went away once she banished him from their bedroom. It was one of the many things she had grown to miss after that fateful day, never knowing why until now.

"Will you two ever learn to restrain yourselves, at least for the public's sake?" she teased to cover her true feelings.

"Never," James replied defiantly as he kissed Anysa's hand lovingly.

"You should know by now darling that he's too much of a cad to ever reform," Anysa told Scarlett with mock disgust as she reached for the dessert menu. "Now let's order dessert quickly so we can get out of here before he makes another ill-bred comment."

"Sweetheart, you should know by now that I'm so full of ill-bred comments that I even fail to realize I'm saying them anymore. The pace which you order dessert at will do nothing to inhibit another one from slipping," he jabbed back as he looked over the dessert menu with her.

Quickly looking over the menu, James and Anysa decided on crème brûlée to share, while Scarlett ordered nothing. She had eaten plenty for dinner and could not imagine eating another bite. It also didn't help that her sense of melancholy was still present, although not as much as earlier in the day, and it did nothing to make the thought of dessert appetizing. As the waiter was approaching the table with the crème brûlée, she considered ordering a glass of dessert wine but was stopped short when he placed a small plate with a chocolate covered pastry in front of her.

"What is this?" she asked, confused, looking up at him.

"Your dessert ma'am," he said kindly.

"My dessert? I didn't order a dessert," she replied.

"A gentleman had it sent over for you," he offered as he placed the crème brûlée down for Anysa and James.

"A gentleman? What gentleman?" she asked, interest piqued.

"I don't know his name ma'am. He just said he was an admirer of yours," he conceded as he left the table with a final half bow.

"Who do you think this admirer could be Scarlett?" Anysa asked excitedly as she dug into her dessert.

"Yes, Scarlett. Do tell, which man is ensnared in your charming web of southern grace this week?" he joked, evidently interested as well.

"I don't know," was all Scarlett was able to reply as she looked on smiling at them. There were several men who wanted to court her, but she could not peg which one would send her a dessert. Whoever it was, she did not currently care. All she cared about was that the gesture had brightened her mood significantly. Picking up the pastry, she let out a girlish giggle as she took a bite of the chocolate covered pasty filled with luscious meringue.


	31. The Lacroix Bazaar

_**A/N: I'm glad so many of you enjoyed the last chapter, but I'm sure you'll prefer this one!**_

**Chapter 31: The Lacroix Bazaar **

After hours of tossing and turning, Scarlett finally admitted defeat and woke for the day. Even though she only received a few hours of sleep, she felt energized and excited about the day that lay before her. It was the day of the Lacroix Bazaar and anticipation for it had reached a fever pitch in San Francisco. Many of the most popular stores in the city, ranging from tailors to bakers, were opening stands knowing how much money would likely be spent at the bazaar. The fee for these stands was donating 25% of their proceeds to the cause of the night, which was benefiting churches to feed the homeless, or something like that. Scarlett wasn't particularly concerned about the cause if she was honest with herself; all she knew was that at least some of the money she was going to spend on luxuries was going to a worthy cause and she was fine with that level of knowledge.

Looking at the clock on the nightstand next to her bed, she saw that her usual breakfast tray of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and milk was five minutes late. If it hadn't been for the rumble in her stomach, she would not have been nearly as irritated as she was now. Grabbing her wrapper from the back of a chair, she slipped it on and opened the door to look into the hall for the cart that should be bringing her food to her. Just as she was about to step into the hall though, she looked down and saw a small box wrapped in beautiful paper lace. Unknowingly, Scarlett smiled as she picked up the box and took it back into the room, completely forgetting her original purpose for going into the hall.

Carefully unwrapping the box, she set the paper aside and opened it. She gasped with glee when she saw the tiny chocolate bonbons inside. Bonbons were her favorite treat and she immediately indulged in one of them. The smooth dark chocolate melted in her mouth and she smiled at the rush only chocolate could provide. Whoever this secret admirer of hers was, he was doing a fantastic job of pleasing her and her senses and for the life of her she could not figure out who it was. By now she figured that he would have found some way to give her a hint as to who he was, but no man had come forward.

Ever since the chocolate pastry at dinner a week before, she had come to expect surprises at the oddest times. Whether it was a bottle of champagne being sent to her table at dinner or the evening paper being delivered to her room with interesting articles being circled, she had come to greatly enjoy the surprises her admirer sent. Scarlett wasn't sure how she would react, but she sincerely hoped that he would reveal himself tonight at the bazaar. The suspense was eating her and she desperately wanted to know his identity. Whoever it was had put great care into his gifts and he deserved at least a thank you and a dance. If she already liked who it was, she had even started to consider letting him court her formally. Although her heart belonged to Rhett, she couldn't help but feel that she should attempt to move on in some respect. After all, she thought bitterly, that is likely what he was doing in God knows wherever he was.

Just as her thoughts of Rhett started to enter angry territory, a knock at the door disturbed her. Making her way across the room, she opened the door to find Maddy, one of Anysa's maids, waiting with her breakfast tray.

"I'm sorry for being late Miss Scarlett. My carriage over got held up on the way. It seems everyone is out on the streets right now making last minute arrangements for tonight. I hope you don't mind my taking the liberty of picking up your breakfast tray," Maddy explained, hoping Scarlett was not too upset by her half an hour late appearance.

"Not at all! Thank you for picking up my tray. I was about to march down there myself and confront the chef," Scarlett laughed as she allowed Maddy into the room. Maddy reminded her so much of her own Mammy that she could not help but feel a sort of attachment to her. Her kind, but stern attitude was something she loved to encounter during her many trips to the Lacroix residence.

"Would you mind telling me what it is you need to take over Miss Scarlett? I'd prefer you ate over helping me gather it," Maddy said as she moved towards the wardrobe and Scarlett started picking at her breakfast.

Anysa had insisted Scarlett get ready with her at the Lacroix estate and she was more than willing to take her up on her offer. She knew how long it would take her to get ready and company was something that would be welcomed during those tedious hours of dressing, applying make-up, and the fixing of hair. That was why Maddy had been sent over to help her gather everything Anysa may not have to assist her in getting prepared for the festivities.

Scarlett told Maddy what she would need as she ate and got herself into her day dress. So rare was the occasion now when she wore a corset that she did not often need the assistance of a maid to help her get ready. Some were critical of her flagrant disregard of dress code, but she did not care nor did many others. Corsets were becoming more of a nuisance as time went by, but Scarlett knew she needed one to wear the green silk gown tonight so she had Maddy pack it along with all of her hair supplies.

Once her breakfast was finished and her things packed, Scarlett and Maddy made their way to the Lacroix family estate. Scarlett had been there a time or two, but the massive estate never failed to impress her. The mansion was built in the colonial style, making it stick out against the commonly Victorian style houses of the area, on highly sought after land. It was built on several acres with the land sloping towards the water where the family had built a private dock to keep their boat. The scene was perfect for the fast approaching bazaar and she was certain that everyone attending would be in agreeance with her.

Maddy led her into the house while another maid retrieved her things from the carriage. As she was about to be led upstairs, Anysa poked her head around the corner at the top.

"Scarlett!" she cried and she came down to greet her. "Aren't you excited for tonight!? You would not believe some of the decorations that are being set up!"

"I can only begin to imagine! I've heard so much about these parties that I would be sorely disappointed if I could predict any of the arrangements," she responded animatedly.

"I've been to so many of these parties and just when I think I will no longer be shocked, they manage to one up what they have done the year before! It's guaranteed to be a spectacle the likes of which I'm sure you've never seen before," Anysa said as the pair made their way up the stairs to the room allotted for their dressing.

"Judging from what you said, you haven't seen the likes of it either," Scarlett teased.

"I haven't and don't you dare spoil it by looking outside before night and telling me what you see," Anysa chided, clearly remembering the time Scarlett accidentally spoiled the surprise of fireworks at a party earlier in the season.

"That was an accident! And you should be grateful I spoiled that one for you. I know of your fear of fireworks!" she giggled, thinking it funny that someone would be scared of such a cheerful display.

"I'm not scared of fireworks! I'm just startled by those ridiculous loud banging noises they make," she said in an attempt to justify her irrational fear.

"Say what you will, but we all know the truth," Scarlett further teased as they entered their dressing room to ready themselves for the bazaar.

* * *

"That hairstyle is outrageous Scarlett. You're never doing it again!" Anysa proclaimed as she stepped aside so Scarlett could appraise herself in the mirror.

"Oh hush your mouth Anysa! You're just jealous that my hairstyle is so much more elaborate than yours," Scarlett bit back. She knew Anysa wasn't jealous, but she decided it would be more entertaining to tease her anyway. It turns out that her hairstyle was even more elaborate than originally thought and Anysa's help was needed in order to finish it, during the process of which she pricked her finger on a hair pin.

"If you must lie to yourself to get through the evening then so be it. Are you ready now princess?" Anysa jokingly barbed.

"Yes, now let us go out and enjoy the festivities my royal subject," Scarlett said as she twirled around in front of the mirror one last time before leaving. The green silk gown she was wearing looked more beautiful than she had originally remembered and her hair that was comprised of numerous tiers of cascading curls was incredibly flattering. The centerpiece of the outfit, as she felt with all of her outfits, was the emerald necklace Rhett had given her for her birthday. Not once had it been removed from her neck since she originally put it on nearly a year ago, not even when she slept. The piece had become Scarlett's signature and most everyone who associated with her not only knew it, but were jealous of it. No one had seen a piece like it before and although several tried to commission pieces that looked like it, none were as captivating as the one on Scarlett's neck.

"Watch yourself darling. If you call me royal subject one more time I will pull out a hairpin and that whole thing on your head will come apart," Anysa teased as she opened the bedroom door to leave.

"Do that and I'll trip you in front of everyone," she responded as they came to the staircase.

Normally Anysa would have had a witty comeback, but the music and chatter floating up the stairs from outside caused her to forget one; not that Scarlett would have heard it anyway. People outside were talking animatedly to each other and both knew it had to be about the arrangements. Smiling at each other excitedly, they grabbed each other's hand and hurried down the stairs. Walking out the backdoor, both were taken breathless by the sight before them.

Chinese paper lanterns illuminated the entire backyard with colorful streamers hanging between them. The stands were filled with delicious baked goods, fine china, hats with all types of decorations on them, and gorgeously tailored pieces. Men on tall stilts were walking about the backyard and in between stations there were various circus performers performing great feats like eating glass, dwarfs climbing on top of each other to form human towers, and there was even a fire breather. The most shocking of the performers was a tiny woman doing flips and handstands on the back of an elephant. In the back towards the center, a large mahogany dance floor had been constructed with a raised stage in front of the dock for the band. All of this combined with the backdrop of the ocean swells and rolling fog left Scarlett speechless.

"See what I was talking about?" Anysa asked in a slightly dumbfounded voice.

"I think a mere yes would be an understatement," Scarlett replied equally dumbfounded.

Scarlett and Anysa descended the stairs of the porch onto the grass and started to make their way around the stations. The Browning Café, a mainstay of Scarlett's, was selling coffee and pastries. They both bought a coffee and an éclair before moving on to a tailor who was selling bonnets.

"That piece is darling!" Scarlett said praising the bonnet that had been placed as the centerpiece of all the bonnets. It was a deep red accent bonnet that would cover half the head and would be pinned into the hair rather than tied under the chin. It was obviously at the cutting edge of fashion and Scarlett wanted it for her own.

"I'm glad you like it. It's yours, Miss Scarlett," the tailor replied eagerly.

"Oh I couldn't take it for free! How much is it?" she asked, flattered that he would give it to her at no cost, but she insisted on paying for it.

"It has already been paid for, for you to have," he responded.

"Paid for already? By who?" she questioned already knowing the answer.

"By a gentleman," he provided happily.

"At least it's mine," Scarlett responded smiling. "Thank you so much."

"Good Lord! It seems your admirer has struck again!" Anysa cried as they walked away, thrilled at the thought of Scarlett having such an intuitive admirer who knew which bonnet she would desire most.

"This admirer of mine already struck this morning," she replied. "He sent me a box of bonbons. At the rate he's going, I'll have a house by the end of the month."

"I hope this man reveals himself to you soon. I'm dying to know who he is!" Anysa said as her and Scarlett stopped to watch the fire breather.

Over the course of the next hour, Scarlett and Anysa went around to several of the stands and purchased various knick knacks. They both took their purchases back into the house and came back out prepared to dance for the first time of the night. The reel that was currently being played was coming to an end and it would be the perfect time for them to jump into the fevered dancing. As they stood on the outside of the floor waiting for the song to end, Scarlett got more eager to join in. She loved dancing and never failed to have a partner for when she wanted to get involved. Scarlett wanted nothing more at that moment than to dance the night away. Maybe during one of her dances, her admirer would reveal himself, she thought excitedly. As the song came to a close, Mr. Thomas Lacroix, head of the Lacroix family, took the head of the stage.

"I trust you all are having the time of your life!" his voice blared out over the crowd. All those in attendance stopped what they were doing and turned to face the stage and cheer; Scarlett believed she was among the loudest applauding.

"I believe this is probably the most successful bazaar we have had in years. That makes our revival of an old tradition here all the more exciting!" he continued. Scarlett cheered with everyone else but laughed inwardly at the insinuation that any tradition they had at these bazaars was "old." Sure, they had thrown these bazaars for about two decades, but in the south when someone mentioned an old tradition, it usually implied it had been done for at least one hundred years.

"The tradition we are bringing back is one that the ladies here will find especially stimulating! Men, if you wish to lead the next reel with the woman of your choice, you must bid for her hand!" he bellowed animatedly to the shrieks of women and the cheers of men.

"Scarlett, isn't this how you met your Rhett?" Anysa asked turning to her with a shocked expression.

"No," Scarlett replied smiling absentmindedly, as she was deep in her memories of that bazaar so long ago. "But, it was the night he helped me feel alive for the first time since the war started."

James started off the bidding at thirty dollars for Anysa, which made her giggle incessantly. The dollar amount continued to climb and reached a high of ninety dollars for James' sister Cassandra, when an unmistakable voice tinged with a Charleston drawl broke through the commotion of the crowd.

"Mrs. Rhett Butler – one hundred and fifty dollars – in gold."

As his voice rang in her ears, Scarlett damn near collapsed as her legs turned to jelly and a feeling of lightheadedness cancelled out any other thoughts. The crowds cries of elation fell on deaf ears as she stood for a moment, shocked into place. As she slowly turned around to face the house, as everyone else had already done, Scarlett saw his large, resolute frame standing at the edge of the illuminated porch staring directly at her.

When she made eye contact with him, he started to make his way slowly down the stairs of the porch towards her. Whether the crowd knew the significance of the moment or not Scarlett would never know, but as he walked towards her, the crowd parted like the Red Sea to allow him through unhindered.

Never had he looked more handsome to Scarlett as he did in that moment. His marvelously tailored black tuxedo appeared to be made of a fine silk and the way it hugged his powerfully built body inspired sinful thoughts that she no longer saw reason to control. Most stunning of all was the way his black eyes danced with a fire that she had not observed in years as they attempt to pierce through to her soul as he advanced towards her.

"That had much more of a ring to it than Mrs. Charles Hamilton ever did, don't you think?" Rhett asked smirking as he stood towering above her small frame.

Scarlett feared nothing more than her nightmare coming true then, but she had to touch him. She had to prove to herself that he was really there and not some figment of her imagination. As she reached her hands up to his face, she hesitated a second before laying her hands on his freshly shaven cheeks. When she did, he did not blanch and turn away from her as he had in her nightmare, but instead closed his eyes and leaned into it, as if he were absorbing her touch. It was only then that she realized she had not been breathing and when she took breath, a silent tear fell unbidden down her cheek. Taking her hands in his, he bent his head down and gently kissed each of her palms, sending a charge through her.

"Rhett... how..." she started with little success at getting her tongue to cooperate with her demands.

"There is plenty of time for explanations, my pet. But for now, let us dance."


	32. A Year Gone By - Part 1

_**A/N: Oh my goodness! The reactions I got to Rhett's return blew my mind! I had anticipated writing it for so long and to see everyone's overall extremely positive reaction to it made me feel everything so far has been worth it. Thank you again!**_

**Chapter 32: A Year Gone By - Part 1  
**

Though Scarlett had danced with many men over the course of her time in San Francisco, none possessed the easy grace with which Rhett danced. He could manipulate her body with ease into extravagant twirls and footing sequences, even if she had never performed them before. Their bodies were so highly attuned to each other when they danced that Scarlett was certain they were destined to be together, at least on the dance floor.

Neither of them spoke as they continued to dance through countless reels and waltzes; it was as if both feared speaking would break the intensely intimate, physical connection charging through them. Rhett was holding her flush to his body as they danced, with his hand placed possessively on the small of her back. Scarlett did nothing to dissuade him from this and she even placed her free hand provocatively on his chest rather than his arm, as any decent married woman knew to do. They were both so wrapped up in their own world that they failed to notice the way some in the crowd were looking on, appalled at their indecent behavior; not that either of them would have cared enough to do something about it had they noticed.

"What do you say to a romantic, moonlit stroll along the beach with your husband?" he whispered in her ear. Picking up on his slight tone of sarcasm, Scarlett chuckled lightly and nodded her head in agreement.

Rhett took her hand and guided her off the dance floor to the strip of beach that lined the backyard of the Lacroix estate. As they stepped onto the sand, he bent over and removed his highly polished black shoes. Scarlett took his cue and removed her dancing slippers as well. She loved the feel of cold sand beneath her feet and it felt reassuring in this most unpredictable of situations. He held his hand out for her to place her slippers in for him to carry, but she just placed them both in her right hand and took his offered hand with hers.

"Wish to keep your slippers in case the urge to run from me possesses you?" he teased as they started to walk the beach.

"No," Scarlett replied, smiling. Being with Rhett made her feel as if she were home for the first time in months, but she still had no idea where the conversation they were to have would lead. She wanted it to be a civilized conversation, but knowing how volatile they were during disagreements left her with concern. Thoughts like these continued to rack her mind as time slipped by unchecked.

"Enough of this Scarlett," Rhett said as he suddenly stopped and pulled on her hand, spinning her around to face him. "I anticipated many outcomes of my sudden appearance here tonight, everything ranging from you jumping into my arms to slapping me across the face, but I certainly didn't foresee your silence."

"I... I just don't know where to start," Scarlett replied honestly. She wanted to start a conversation, but she was currently too preoccupied with her reservations against it and, more importantly, with the way the moonlight was currently playing across Rhett's face. It was highlighting his well chiseled jaw-line and high cheekbones so gloriously that she was hoping the image of it would be ingrained in her mind forever. She felt as if she was looking at a whole new person as she gazed into his stern eyes that seemed to be laced with worry.

"Well, then let us start with the basics. Are you upset that I'm here?" he inquired.

"No!" she practically shouted, irritated at the insinuation she would not want him there.

"Are you pleased that I'm here?" he asked with a knowing smile.

"Yes, but... well... how on God's green earth did you find me?"she questioned to get to the heart of the matter. Scarlett could have sworn she covered her tracks thoroughly enough, not to mention that he himself had disappeared shortly after she did. The whole situation was strange no matter what way she looked at it.

"I'm not going to spoil that mystery for you just yet," he laughed. "But I can promise it will make for an interesting tale. First things first though, why did you do it?"

"Why did I do what?" Scarlett asked.

"Why did you disappear?" Rhett probed looking her straight in the eyes with ill-concealed fury.

"Don't you be critical with me Rhett! I seem to recall you falling off the face of the planet as well," she shot back. There was no way she was going to allow him to make her feel bad when he had done the same thing.

"My reasons for doing so were far different from yours," he growled.

"And that makes your cause more righteous?" she shouted incredulously.

"I sure did miss this run around of ours," he chuckled with a trace of humor. "Now, let me make one thing clear to you. I have never claimed, nor will I ever, that I have exchanged my morally corrupt ways for a path of righteousness, even for a second. There's no fun to be had there. However, I would have never done what I did if it had not been for what you had done. All the events of the last year started there and that is why I ask."

Rhett's question forced her to relive the heartache of the last year and a half after he had left her. Even during her weakest moments she had been able to subdue the pain somehow, but now she could not. His withdrawn, sorrowful words came flooding back to her and she could feel tears welling inside her at the memory. If they were to have a chance at reconciliation, assuming that's why he was there, she knew she had to be honest with him. With this in mind, she quietly, but with strength, revealed her most basic reason for her actions that took her away from everything she knew. "Because you did not love me anymore."

Scarlett was looking down at the sand when she spoke and after a couple of seconds of silence, she felt Rhett's fingers under her chin, guiding her face to look at him. Taking in the expression on his face, she found not an ounce of contempt or mocking humor, only sincerity. "I never said that."

"Yes you did!" she choked out. "You said so when you... when you left me."

"No, I said my love for you had worn out," he replied gently.

"That means the same thing!" she shrilled. No matter how hard she had tried since he said it, she could find no way to morph what he had said to mean anything else. He was lying to her now and she knew it!

"Far from it, their meanings are completely different. When something is worn out, it means that it has been through trying times and has come out worse for wear. When something is gone, it means just that; that it is gone forever, never to return. I was being completely honest with you at that time and I was in no mood for games. If I did not love you anymore, I would have said exactly that," he explained. Scarlett quickly scanned his face for any betraying sign of dishonesty, but found none. All she could find was a pain in him that reminded her of her own.

"But then why did you want a div..."she began.

"Don't say that word," he interrupted before she could finish. "It is a vile word that I could go my entire life without hearing again and die a happy man. We used it far too often towards the end and I will thank you to never utter it once more in my prescience. To answer your question though, I wanted it because I wanted away from you. All I saw when I looked at you were mistakes; my mistakes and I detest nothing more than..."

"Mistakes!? But Rhett, if it hadn't been for my..." Scarlett intervened.

"Quiet Scarlett. My stories have a natural flow to them and if I do not say what I need to say now, I may lack the courage to ever try again. As I was saying, I detest nothing more than acknowledging I have made mistakes and seeing them on you, plain as day whenever I looked at you, became too painful. I figured if I were away from you, I could hide from them and everything I had done wrong. That assumption also proved to be wrong though and by the time I realized it, I figured I was too late; hence my further insistence on it during your stay in Charleston. Long story cut short to the bare bones of it, I was running, as I always have from facts I do not wish to acknowledge and for that," he paused, during which he assessed her face, looking for some sort of answer before continuing. "I am sorry; I am truly sorry for what I have done to you and for my part in our failed marriage. I know you may not believe me and sorry does not erase the past, but I hope that over time you may come to recognize my sincerity."

Scarlett was, needless to say, stunned into silence. Although Rhett had apologized over the years for small misgivings, never had he apologized for anything major; nevertheless his role in their disastrous union of husband and wife. He always managed to turn the tables on her to make her feel as if she were the source of all their troubles. His admittance of wrong doing shocked her and as she attempted to compute it, she just continued to stare at his honest face and feel the slight wind whipping her curls around behind her.

"Do you believe me now?" she asked once she managed to find her tongue.

"Believe what?" he probed, looking confused.

"Believe me that when I first said I was sorry, that I meant it," she explained.

"Yes, I believe you," he replied and Scarlett saw through his eyes he was not lying.

"Then I believe you too," she reassured him. She did believe him, there was no denying it. After all, why would he attempt to find her only to lie to her face upon doing so? she figured. It made no sense, so Scarlett took what he said to heart as truth.

"Then that only leaves us with one course of action," he smirked at her.

"And what's that?" she smiled back.

"For us to fulfill our destiny, my dear," he replied with sarcasm mixed with truth. "We were made for each other. Bad lots the both of us and whatever comes of that equation is all we deserve. Besides, who else in the world would be willing to put up with you and your continuous pursuit of power?"

"I don't know but I am sure that question would be answered sooner than who would be willing to put up with you and your caddish ways Mr. Butler," she replied, keeping the teasing air between them alive.

"Touché Mrs. Butler," he laughed as sat down on a bench facing the ocean.

As Scarlett sat down beside him, she reflected on how fitting the name Mrs. Butler was for her. By now, she thought she would have lost the right to use that name, but it was apparently still hers and the thought made her smile. He was willing to try to form a life with her again and nothing could have made her happier.

"What made you change your mind? I thought you didn't want to give me a second chance," Scarlett asked. Rhett had been very clear when he left her that there was no second chance for her and she wanted him to clarify what his reasoning was for changing his mind on the matter.

"As far as I'm concerned, this isn't a second chance; it's a first. We were doomed from the start the first time around. You didn't love me and I was unwilling to admit my love for you. It was a dangerous combination that ultimately blew up in our faces in the most spectacular fashion possible. Take heed though Scarlett. I am not willing to stay in this relationship again if we get anywhere near what happened last time and I would hope that you would be as equally turned off by the possibility. What we have and where we hope to get will take a lot of work and even more honesty, but if we can brave that storm together, we will come out all the better for it," he explained.

Scarlett knew that what he said was true, but there was a part of his statement that bothered her. "You're wrong you know."

"About what?" he asked, intrigued.

"I did love you, even then. So I guess I was wrong as well when I said I didn't during your proposal," she replied as she giggled at the irony.

"Pray tell Mrs. Butler," he probed with no attempt to veil his interest.

"Well, I've had a lot of time to think while I've been out here and one of the first things I tried to figure out was when I fell in love with you. I knew it wasn't... that day when I finally confessed it to you; all that day did was force my love for you into focus. My God Rhett, I've loved you for so long and didn't know it," she cried, still furious with herself for being so blind for so long.

It was then that Rhett grabbed her face with both hands and turned it towards him. An urgency and need was burning out of control in his eyes when he spoke to her. "When Scarlett? When did you fall in love with me?"

His apparent desperation unnerved her and motivated her to tell him the whole truth. "I don't know, I honestly don't know. It could have been the night of the bazaar, but I'll never know for sure. All I can tell you for certain was the day when I should have realized I felt more for you than friendship. Do you remember how you would call on me during the war whenever you were in Atlanta and you would always bring me presents?"

With a nod of his head and the furrowing of his eyebrows, he urged her on and she continued. "I remember how I used to get so thrilled when I would see you riding up on that large black horse of yours with a present for me in hand. My heart would race and I would shake with excitement and I could never run to the door fast enough to receive you. Well, there came a day when I looked out the window and there you were, walking up to the house and that usual feeling of excitement came over me. Then I noticed that for the first time since you had started calling on me you had no present, but I didn't feel at all disappointed and I just ran down the stairs to receive you as excited as I always was. I know it may not seem like much, but I should have realized then that my elation to see you wasn't because of the presents; it was just at seeing you."

At her admission, realization flashed across Rhett's face and he gave her a marvelous grin. Kissing her forehead, he released her face and returned to his casual seating position. "I bought you a scoop of ice cream that day. Peach, if memory serves."

"It was! Oh Rhett! How do you remember that?" she questioned, shocked that he would still remember that day.

"I'm cursed with an eidetic memory," he smirked.

"Aida what?" she asked. It was only a matter of time before he used another word I've had never heard of before, she laughed to herself.

"Let's just say you're not likely to know someone with better memory recall," he explained with a trace of a smile on his lips.

"Then do you recall when you fell in love with me?" Scarlett pried, hoping to hear the story.

"Certainly. It occurred at a most inopportune moment, but I've been under your spell ever since," he offered with great humor, obviously recollecting the moment as he spoke.

"Aren't you going to tell me about it?" she further pushed.

"No, I'm not sure your fragile female mind could handle it," Rhett teased knowing how his comment would likely infuriate her.

"What!? First, you won't tell me how you found me and now you won't tell me about when you fell in love with me? I thought you wanted honesty and you're already being evasive! And fragile female mind!? How dare you imply that my mind is somehow weak because..." she stormed angrily at him.

"Stop, stop, stop," he pleaded through howling laughter. "You know I don't think you weak; I just enjoy how you inflame so easily. I promise you I'm not being evasive, I just want there to be a little mystery left surrounding me or I fear I would cease to be such an enigma in your eyes, and why end such an endearing decade's long quandary!? But, in the interest of propriety, I will regale with the captivating tale of your choice. Do you wish to hear about the moment I fell under your spell or how I found you? Either way, I guarantee you will be thoroughly entertained."

Gazing at the ocean as if it would provide her with the answer, she started to contemplate which story she wanted to hear most. On one hand, she desperately wanted to know about the moment (he knew the exact moment!?) he fell for her, but on the other hand she wanted to know how he found her. She had left no clues behind as to where she went and the few souls who knew her exact location were sworn to secrecy. In the end, the more pressing manner won out. "I want to know how you found me."

"Practical till the end aren't you my dear?" he smirked adoringly to her. "Very well. I found you because of a rumor and because of this," Rhett said while playing with the emerald necklace around her neck. His touch was causing her skin to crawl in the most sensuous way possible and it was with great effort that she charged forward with her quest for knowledge.

"You better give me more information than that Rhett Butler," she responded with overdone coquetry. It was something he never fell for, but she tried for old time's sake anyway.

"As you wish my sweet southern belle," Rhett replied with equally overdone gentleman airs. "After you left Charleston, I traveled to Atlanta about a week later to confront you for depositing all the money I gave you back into my account. Don't ask me to account for why it upset me, because I honestly don't know, but the point is that it did. That combined with my assumption that you were supplementing your income and carrying on with the long suffering Mr. Wilkes, I charged into Atlanta with the intent of expelling you both out of my house, or something along those lines. I must admit, now that I am detailing my plan out loud, it sounds like I've gone mad but I must assure you that it all made plenty of sense to me at the time."

Staring at him dumbfounded, Scarlett voiced her one coherent thought. "I think you have gone mad because none of that made any damn sense."

"All I can say in defense of myself is that you have inspired many episodes of insanity in me and I'm sure that will not be the last of them. Anyways, after I found the house vacant..." he trudged on.

"After shooting the lock off," Scarlett added.

"After shooting the lock off," he admonished, mocking himself. "I barged into the Wilkes household and, possessed by my long simmering hatred for the man, I struck him in the face before I realized what I had done."

"What you had done was break his nose in two places," she informed him.

"Really!? Two places?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Yes, two places. Don't you feel at all bad for it?" she questioned with mock horror.

"Not an ounce," he replied, obviously finding the situation hilarious. "Well, after I was assured that you had not become the consort of Ashley Wilkes, I made my way to your Uncle Henry Hamilton's law practice so he could explain to me how you had manipulated Ashley into giving you back a part of the mill. Oh don't look all innocent Scarlett! I know you bullied him into it somehow. It was then that he showed me those dreadful papers you had written up and I realized with abrupt clarity what a fool I had been for wanting them. To ensure that I never saw them again, I threw them into the fire."

"So you did throw them into the fire! Uncle Henry told me he suspected as much but he wasn't certain. That explains why I never got..." Scarlett excitedly started.

"I know where you're going with that and yes, that is why you never received finalized papers," he interrupted. "I may be a cad sweetheart, but not enough of one to do that to you after you had been as magnanimous as to give me what you believe I wanted and I knowing your aversion to it. Also, to quell any fears of yours before they begin, even if we do get to a point where we can no longer be together, I will express no desire for those wretched proceedings again. We will always be married from this point forward whether you like it or not. But back to my story, after the traumatizing sight of those papers I decided I needed to get my mind off of them by playing a few rounds of cards and having a couple of drinks. Well, that few rounds of cards turned into many and those couple of drinks turned into an entire bottle and voilà! I had a bar fight on my hands! And would you believe it!? I actually got injured during the damn thing; got a gash that bled like Vesuvius above my right eye. Shame it didn't damage my eye as well. I would've had an excuse to wear an eye-patch and look like the villain everybody already believes me to be."

"I'm disappointed in you Rhett," Scarlett jokingly scolded.

"Disappointed!? Surely not! My antics have gotten me into far worse trouble before," he reminded her.

"But never have you gotten injured during those little squabbles before. I dare say, you seem to be losing your touch," she teased knowing how protective he was of his manhood.

"You wound me Scarlett; insulting my masculinity with flagrant disregard for my feelings. So callous is woman! But that's fine, I will just take all the more pleasure in proving to you incorrect," he remarked and before Scarlett could comment, his hand which was playing with her necklace pulled her towards him and he kissed her.

Though it started gently, his kiss turned more consuming and fevered as a new, but familiar electricity zapped through them. The madness that his kisses always inspired swept through Scarlett and she found herself running her hands through his thick, jet black hair. As desire ripped through her, she allowed him to shift her so she was sitting on his lap. She was vaguely aware that their hands were traveling to places on each other that they seldom should in the bedroom, nevertheless in public. In public! Oh what would people think if they saw them!? Why, they were practically making love on a bench and if some poor soul happened to stumble upon them their reputations would be ruined! As if reading her thoughts, Rhett slowly drew the kiss to a close but just before he pulled away, he lightly bit her bottom lip. It was so unexpected and thrilling that all Scarlett wanted was for him to do it again, regardless of where they were.

"Maybe I should insult you more often," she offered lightly as she regained composure, but remaining seated in his lap. His proximity was too intoxicating to be away from, now knowing what it felt like to be away from it for so long.

"Perhaps you should! I never knew I had an exhibitionist for a wife! Tell me Scarlett, are there any more enticing secrets you have kept from me?" he said with an arrogant smile.

"Hush your mouth! I'm not _that_," Scarlett whispered appalled. She only knew what he was talking about because of rumors that had flown around about certain couples who apparently did not know how to control themselves and she did not wish to be grouped with them.

"Yes you are! We practically just made a child. Quick! Find out the name of this beach and we'll name our newborn after it," he teased.

"You be quiet! I am no more with child now than you are a gentleman," she raged but only half-heartedly.

"Good. You've never liked gentleman much anyways. Now Scarlett, my story is about it take a sordid turn but I need you to remember, before you decide to claw my face off and run for the hills, that I was quite in distress over seeing those papers and very intoxicated. Can you do that?" he asked and she could easily tell that he was nervous for the first time of the night.

"Yes," she replied tepidly. She was not sure she liked where his story was going, but she knew she needed to hear it.

"When the bar fight finished and all the men started to disperse, I realized for the first time that I had no place to go. Looking back, I suppose I could have gone to the National but I didn't and instead I went... I went to Belle's," he anxiously choked out, not looking at Scarlett.

"Did you stay the night?" Scarlett asked, fearing the answer. She could remember from Uncle Henry's letter that Rhett had been seen stumbling out of Belle's in the early morning, but she hoped that was just a nasty rumor.

"Yes," he answered, still avoiding her gaze.

"Did you... did you take a girl?" she asked, feeling disgusting for uttering the question but needing to know the whole truth of that fateful night.

Scarlett felt his muscles constrict beneath her before he answered her so quietly she almost didn't hear him. "Yes."


	33. A Year Gone By - Part 2

_**A/N: Here is the continuation of the last chapter, which made many of you turn borderline mutinous against Rhett! But with good reason. I loved the reviews though! I'm so happy many of you seem to enjoy my building on these long beloved characters. It has been such an honor to get in their heads.**_**_ P.S. For those of you who expressed concerned that my new story Belles and Scoundrels will distract from the upkeep of this one, fear not! This story was my first fanfic and thus my first love. I will not let it go without a proper conclusion and we are nowhere near that!  
_**

**Chapter 33: ****A Year Gone By - Part 2**

"YOU BASTARD!" she screamed as she slapped him so hard across the face that it stung her own hand. Before he could stop her, she jumped away from him and started running along the beach to make her escape. Tears started falling down her face as she thought about him being with that... that creature! He always went back to her! ALWAYS! She stood no chance against her! He must love Belle as much as he loved her!

Scarlett did not make it far before she felt Rhett's powerful arms wrap tightly around her mid-section behind her. When he attempted to pick her up, she started flailing about wildly and tried to kick his legs with her heels. She felt like a caged animal and she wanted nothing more than to get away from him.

"Please Scarlett stop this! I need to talk to you! I need to explain myself!" he pleaded as he tried to get her under control.

"No! Let me go you scoundrel! I hate you! I hate you with every bone in my body!" she cried still attempting to fight him.

"You must stop this now! Please! There's a reason I gave you that warning before I continued. It's not what you think!" he bellowed as he continued to fight with the thrashing Scarlett.

"Yes it is! I... I know what you do in those places with those... those women! You're a dog!" Scarlett yelled beginning to feel as if she were fighting a losing battle.

"Give me two seconds to explain myself Scarlett! If my explanation is not satisfactory I will let you go!" he offered desperately.

With his offer, Scarlett went limp in his arms. Mainly from exhaustion, but partially because she wanted to hear the ridiculous story he made up to try and justify taking a girl the night he found out about the divorce papers.

When he spun her around in his arms so he could face her, he saw the tears rolling down her face. His expression immediately softened and, in a tried and true gesture he had done too many times to count with her, he removed a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and offered it to her. Taking a step away from him, she grabbed it furiously and without thanks to quickly wipe her tears away. She then looked into his eyes, shooting daggers at him the whole time, to show she was ready for whatever fabricated story he was about to offer her.

"I admit to taking a girl to my room that night Scarlett but I did not sleep with her," he slowly started to explain, ready to leap at her should she try to run again.

"I don't believe you," she quickly retorted. How stupid did he think she was for her to believe that!?

"I swear on my incredibly overinflated sense of manhood that I didn't. I was roaring drunk and so filled with rage towards you and myself that I reverted back to my old self-destructive habit of going to Belle's. After doing several more shots, I went for the nearest... woman available and took her to my room with every intention of sleeping with her. But then... I don't know, an overwhelming feeling of guilt and shame overtook me and I, quietly rudely I might add, forced her to leave my room. I slept alone that night Scarlett, I swear to you I did," he insisted. Rhett made no effort to conceal his emotions and allowed his disgust with himself and worry for having upset her play freely across his face. Scarlett did not fail to take note of them and they softened her anger towards him significantly, leaving her feeling more hurt than anything.

"You can't do that to me again Rhett, ever. I won't stand for it. You can't continue to step out on me and expect me to stay around," she told him, refusing to let him off the hook so easily. She had thought about his betrayals often during her time away and she knew that was something she could never allow herself to go through again, no matter how much she loved him.

"I wouldn't expect you to and I won't, not again. If I am to give us a fair chance I know I can't," he relented.

"It's just... it broke my heart when I found that lingerie in your closet and I remember how you told me you had taken to living with Belle during our marriage and..." she started to ramble.

"Stop right there Scarlett. I know what I said and I need to explain that as well. I do not deny that I did step out on you during our marriage but it's most likely not to the extent that you think. I did take to having a private room at Belle's, but it was mostly so I would not have to come home and face you. I said that to you because I wanted you to hurt as much as I was hurting and for that I am sorry. That will truly go down as one of my great regrets with you. And as for the lingerie, they were not intended for a mistress as you think because I did not have one. They were, in fact, intended for you," he said as he tried to reach out to touch her, but Scarlett stepped away from him.

"You're lying. I don't believe you. Those things were not..." she started in.

"Yes they were. If you had bothered to look at the receipt for them in the wrapping you would have noted that," he tried explaining.

"How would a damned receipt explain anything?" she spat at him.

"Because it was dated 1870," he growled back. His tone and the date caused Scarlett pause; 1870 was the year...

"That's the year I gave birth to Bonnie," she said aloud slowly.

"Yes, that's the year," he acknowledged with evident sadness at the mention of Bonnie. "I placed the order for the lingerie a month after you gave birth. I recall how you would cry for hours during your pregnancy about your weight gain and how you felt ugly because of it. No matter how hard I tried you didn't believe me when I said you had never looked more beautiful. The lingerie, which I ordered to fit your new size, was going to be my way of showing you that your size was of little importance to me and how attracted I was to you. But by the time they came, well... I'm sure you can piece together the rest," he finished with an undercurrent of bitterness.

"I cried for hours after I did that," she practically whispered in response.

"Come again?" he asked taking a step towards her, but stopping short of touching her.

"It was only after I... asked for separate bedrooms I realized what I had done. It meant no more late night talks, you no longer comforting me during the night, and just, well, no more you. I cried for hours, but I was so filled with pride and worry knowing that you would make me pay dearly for even asking in the first place that I said nothing," she somberly recalled.

Rhett looked down at her and as she explained herself, all emotion drained from his face. Not into the blank stare that he used when hiding emotion, but rather into a look that for the first time that night showed his 47 years of age. It was so draining for him to recall the events of the past several years that just talking about them made him weary. "We've been running around each other for all these years, both filled with too much pride to admit their true feelings when in the end we wanted the same thing. Repulsive creatures aren't we my dear?"

"Yes, we are," she laughed with no humor. Their actions towards each other had long been despicable, awful, and sometimes downright unspeakable; and it was entirely their fault. If only one of them had had the courage to speak what they truly felt, in its entirety, so much of what had happened would have never occurred. Both were thinking along these lines, standing in the cold San Francisco sand facing each other when Rhett finally spoke.

"If you wouldn't mind sweetheart, I would like to get back to my story. It is approaching a thrilling point and I wouldn't want you to miss it," he smiled in that old, charming way to her.

"Pray tell Mr. Butler," she replied smiling, using the line he always used when urging her on.

They once again resumed their seats on the bench when he started in again. "When I left Belle's early the next morning I had not slept well that night; so not only had my anger not dissipated, but you could add irritation and sleep deprivation to what I was going through. Upon arriving at the train station, I was greeted by a mob. A mob I tell you, waiting to confront me! It would have been a most exciting event – I've never had a mob come after me like that before! – if I had not been so irate with the world. They confronted me about my deplorable conduct of the previous night, which I was already fully aware of, and in my heightened state of irritation, I decided to take them all down a peg or two."

"Uncle Henry told me you did that but he refused to write what you said! What did you tell them!?" she asked animatedly. Her curiosity had run away with her over the time since she had received the letter and she was dying to know what he had so scandalously revealed.

"I merely informed them that I knew the names of all the men who had mistresses, or should I say, favorite whores at the whorehouse and who had sired illegitimate children with them. You would be surprised at how upset that made them and how quickly they ran away from me!" he laughed with mock surprise.

"Great balls of fire, Rhett! You can't be serious! Some of them have children with those women!?" she exclaimed.

"Not intentionally, but yes. I think your ears would melt and what little opinion you have left of society would slip away if you knew some of the names on that infamous list," Rhett informed her.

"You're not going to tell me any of them!?" she cried.

"No. What little honor I possess restricts me from divulging them under penalty of death, or so they said when I promised to not reveal the names of upstanding citizens with nasty habits," he replied, amused at all the irony in his statement.

"Then I'm sure you will appreciate to hear then that your little outburst put the whole of Atlanta in a tizzy trying to figure out who it was that you were talking about. Uncle Henry seemed to find that at least pretty amusing," Scarlett giggled deciding to not press him for the names.

"I'm sure he did and I'm sure I would have too if I were there to see the chaos! I considered staying just to see it ensue but, as luck would have it, I had an errant wife to catch," he winked.

"You decided then to try and find me?" she asked surprised that he had decided to find her so soon after seeing the divorce papers.

"I had decided to right when I threw the papers in the fire. I didn't know if you would want to see me, but I felt obligated to at least find you and make sure you were happy wherever you had run off to," he replied with a slight smile.

"You just wanted to see if I was happy?" she asked feeling disappointed that he didn't initially want to find her to be with her again.

"You misunderstand me. I wanted to be sure you were happy and if I found that you were, without me, I was going to leave without disrupting whatever new life you had created for yourself. If I found that you weren't, I was going to do exactly as I have done tonight. Surprise you, confess my sins, and hope to the great deity in the sky that you would take me back!" he revealed with overdone drama that made Scarlett laugh.

"You find yourself endlessly entertaining don't you?" Scarlett teased.

"Oh yes! You have no idea how many times I have been sitting alone, thinking about my life, and I laugh out loud at my genius or idiocy! There seems to be such a thin line separating them that even I have a hard time distinguishing between the two. But no matter, it's a part of my charm," he laughed.

"You're a conceited varmint Rhett Butler," Scarlett jokingly chastised. "And what makes you think that I wasn't happy? You've only been here for a few hours."

"To the contrary Scarlett Butler. I have been here for quite awhile! But let's not get ahead of ourselves, I have plenty of story left. Now, when I got back to Charleston I treated the children to a week of festivities knowing that I was going to have my hands full for some time attempting to find you. May I compliment you now on your marvelous disappearing act? I felt as if I was running around aimlessly for months with no clues as to where you were. You did an admirable job of hiding any trace that could lead me to you. Bravo!" he said with admiration tinged with a bit of irritation.

"Oh hush! Continue on," she pressed.

"No need to get antsy! You're going to hear everything soon enough. Anyways, during my time with Ella and Wade, I wrote letters to associates all along the east coast to keep an eye out for you under the guise of you vacationing without me due to my obligations in Charleston and to treat you well on your arrival. They were then to write me so I could surprise you with a visit. I couldn't stand the thought of merely waiting around for their replies though so I embarked across the pond to see if you had ventured into truly unknown territory for yourself," he replied with a pensive expression.

"Across the pond?" she asked not knowing what that meant.

"How the English affectionately refer to the Atlantic Ocean," he clarified.

"You went to Europe to find to find me!?" Scarlett questioned shocked that he would travel so far to look for her.

"I thought you might have been so desperate to be away from me only an entire ocean between us would satisfy you. Little did I know then that it was a continent you wanted separating us, not an ocean, but I digress. I practically tore apart England looking for a trace of you and Paris was happy to be rid of me by the time I was done with it. Switzerland of course turned up nothing and I even barged into quaint Ireland thinking you might have gone there to connect with your father's roots," Rhett recounted.

"Ireland? I only considered going there for a second. I was determined to go where I knew no one and no one knew me, especially family," she said, elaborating on her reasoning for not going there.

"I figured as much by my lack of response to the letters I sent from here in the states. That's why I continued to scour Europe for the better part of a year. I had started to lose hope in my cause of finding you, growing more frustrated and impatient every day and I was beginning to feel it eating at me from the inside. You see, by that time my discontent with my progress had started to manifest itself in my dreams because all I saw in them were you. It was as if my own damn dreams were taunting me! You always looked so beautiful in them, wearing a green dress and that emerald necklace I gave you always seemed to be glowing. Your hair billowing seductively in the wind as you just stared at me, but never letting me come near you. On a whim, I thought the dream meant you were somewhere cold and so I made my fateful trip back to England," he told her.

"You connected a dream with reality? You're beginning to sound like me Rhett," Scarlett chided as she recalled how she had done so numerous times with her own horrible dreams, the last connection she had made being that she had been running towards Rhett in the fog of her dreams all those years.

"Shameful when a man begins to sound like his wife I know, but it happened. Well as luck would have it, I went to a tailor while I was in London to buy a bonnet for you that I saw in the window. When I attempted to purchase it, he informed me that it had already been purchased by an older gentleman for a young lady back home in California in the hopes that it would cheer her up. While he couldn't remember the name of the woman, he could remember the name of the man who purchased it. A man by the name of Soren Anton," he said turning to Scarlett to see her reaction.

"Oh my God! Soren!? Soren led you to me!?" Scarlett cried feeling her heart swell with all the more with gratitude for Anysa's father.

"Of sorts," he smiled. "If he hadn't bought that bonnet for you just before I entered that same day I may have never found you. So you could give him half credit."

"Why only half?" she asked.

"Because my dear, that's only half the reason I finally figured out you were here. While the tailor's story did pique my interest, I would have never figured out it was you that the bonnet was for if it wasn't for my dream. Over the course of the next week my dream grew more and more vivid and when I would wake up from it, I would immediately remember the tailor's story. It started to bother me, but by the end of the week it all made sense. Why your hair was flying in the wind, why your necklace took on an unnatural glow, the tailors story, everything! It all made sense! By damn it Scarlett I figured out you were in California from a dream and a rumor! Am I miracle worker or what!?" he remarked excitedly.

"How does my necklace glowing in your dream factor into this?" Scarlett inquired, bewildered by everything he was revealing.

"You evidently don't appreciate everything that necklace stands for. Tsk tsk Scarlett, you hurt me so!" he mocked.

"What do you mean!? I thought it was simply a birthday present from you and besides, you didn't tell me it symbolized anything in the note you sent with it," she defended herself.

"You mean to tell me you don't feel the heart and soul I put into that piece whenever you wear it!? I should have known the jeweler was lying to me when he said you would!" he scoffed at her.

"Damn it Rhett! Just tell me what it stands for!" she yelled, exasperated by his continued teasing.

"Very well my impatient lady. I didn't just buy that piece for you, I designed it. I bought that emerald on it years ago because it reminded me of your eyes. The knot in it symbolized what I fell our lives will always be like; together or not, we will always be intertwined, for better or for worse. And the pièce de résistance, is the very material it is made of," he said in a voice that almost challenged her.

"Gold," she replied matter-of-factly but knowing that there was something she was missing.

"And what kind of gold could lead me to you?" he led with a familiar twinkle in his eyes.

"Gold... gold... California gold! My Lord Rhett! Is it made of gold you found in the Gold Rush!?" she cried in shock. She had never even considered the possibility of the necklace holding more meaning than a generous birthday present, nevertheless being made of something he had worked so hard to find.

"Your skills of deduction have improved a great deal Scarlett! I'm impressed. Yes, it is made of gold I found during the Gold Rush. While I'm not sure I would have ever told you in frank words, the gold symbolized that as I was willing to die to find that gold, I would be willing to die for you," he explained through what looked like a sense of pain as he started to wind his fingers through her hair. "You came to me in my dreams wearing the necklace that meant more than you would ever know. It was almost as if you wanted me to find you."

"Oh I did Rhett! I wanted nothing more than for you to find me. But I thought you disappeared, just as I did to run away from everything we had," she responded passionately. She reached out for his left hand, which still bared his wedding band, to again verify that he was really there. He had never been so open about his emotions and motives with her in all their years and it was thrilling and terrifying all at once. Neither was good at expressing positive feelings about the other, only negatives ones. She realized then that their relationship would take a lot of work, but the last thing it would be was boring. Nothing could ever be boring with Rhett by her side. In fact, this new adventure they were about to embark on could be downright fun.

"I'm glad you wanted me to find you because now that I have, you would experience a great level of resistance at getting rid of me," he said as he flashed his always disarming smile.

"I love you Rhett," she said softly, thrilled at the prospect that he would now believe her. When he did not reply, but instead kissed her forehead affectionately, she confronted him.

"Aren't you going to say how feel about me?" she pressed gingerly.

"Don't you think that my globetrotting in search of you for the better part of a year speaks volumes more than I?" he shot back carefully.

"It does speak volumes but... it's kind of like a great big puzzle that has taken a tremendous amount of time to put together and when you reach the end you find that you're missing a piece. You can see the whole puzzle and what it looks like, but the absence of that one piece will always mean that it is incomplete. Your actions do speak loudly Rhett, but I need to hear you say it. I need you to tell me how you feel to fill in that last piece," Scarlett explained, unsure of where her example of what his love was like came from.

"My Lord! Has Confucius risen within the bosom of my Scarlett!?" he mockingly inquired.

"I'm not confused!" she bellowed.

"And back into his grave he goes," he added mildly.

"Damn it Rhett! Stop deflecting! Tell me how you feel!" she practically yelled as she turned to face him head on.

The inner turmoil Rhett was going through made for a dazzling display on his face. At first all emotion drained from his face, but was then quickly replaced with a look of confusion. Then anger. Then belligerence. And many more still with the only common factor being fear. A fear which was as deep seeded as her own at the prospect of open honesty. She remained quiet during the show, not wanting to tempt fate again by distracting him from whatever course he was on. After what felt like an eternity, his face fell flat, but resolute as he visibly swallowed what she would never know was the last of his pride. It was only then that he spoke.

"I love you."


	34. Declarations and Realizations

_**A**__**/N: I love having Scarlett and Rhett back together! Don't you!? As always, thank you all so much for your reviews! :D**_

**Chapter 34: Declarations and Realizations**

Rhett's words rang blissfully in her ears as she absorbed the magnitude of what he had just done. He had finally said the three words she had yearned to hear since her own declaration almost two years ago, and likely longer if she was honest with herself. Love shown through her eyes as she looked into his which showed not only love, but a hint of admiration, a pinch of shock at finally confessing what he had long felt, and a trace of nervousness.

"I've waited so long to hear you say that," she said softly as she reached to run a hand through his jet black hair.

"Reason defies me as to why you say it like that. I've said it plenty of damn times throughout the years," he admonished as he looked at her and then out to the ocean.

"You have not," she said, startled by the bitterness in his voice.

"Considering I'm the one who uttered the words, my dear, I would dare say I would know that better than you," he replied as lightly as his borderline malevolence would allow.

"When?" Scarlett asked recalling not one time when he had.

"Would you like for me to go in chronological order?" he mocked, still not looking at her.

"If that is..." she began.

"That was a rhetorical question, Scarlett. After all, what better way for me to detail my love for you!? One of the first times was the night I so crassly requested you become my paramour," he informed her with returned humor knowing how she loathed recalling that night.

It was through a furious blush and the feeling of being flustered that she responded. "My memories of that night are perfectly intact Rhett Butler and I do not recall you making any declaration of love! In fact, you quite plainly stated that you didn't."

"Learn now and never forget that a lie is best hidden between two truths. I only declared I didn't love you after I asked if you could ever love me and you reverted back to your early taught coquettish ways of coaxing proposals out of lesser men than me. Even after that though I started to ramble off many reasons as to why I 'like you tremendously' or something ridiculous like that," he told her with a mocking air obviously aimed towards himself.

"But you said multiple times that you didn't love me!" she retorted not wanting to fold to him so quickly.

"Yes, but only someone as enchantingly dim as you would look at the surface of what I said and fail to hear the rest. Only to you would that conversation not have sounded like a declaration of love," he teased, enjoying her confusion.

"Any chance of me potentially understanding your 'declaration' as you call it blew up in your face though when you proposed that... that thing," she sputtered out, embarrassed to this very day of her reaction.

"That cut you down to size so quickly! Oh, how I wish you could have seen your reaction when I shot down your hope of a marriage proposal and instead asked you to be my mistress! If I am left with only one memory to hold onto on my deathbed I hope it is you screaming 'what would I get out of that except a passel of brats!?' I do declare that my love for you grew tenfold after that!" he laughed heartily.

"Only you would have found that comment endearing," Scarlett shot back not knowing whether she meant it as an insult or of further proof that they truly were meant for each other.

"And that's why you love me. Only a man as ill-bred as I would grow fonder of you after such a statement," he said in a voice that spoke of nothing less than adoration.

"When was your next declaration after that you conceited varmint?" Scarlett replied, caressing the words "conceited varmint" as one would a pet-name between lovers.

"I believe my next declaration after that, my charming ignoramus, was the night I turned horse thief of the saddest looking beast I've ever seen in my life, in order to save your hide before I so foolishly ran off to join the army," he recalled.

"You did not declare love that night Rhett!" she responded incredulously.

"You really must stop making such statements or you are going to start feeling incredibly embarrassed when I prove you wrong. I'll give you a reprieve on that one though since I believe you were too consumed by thoughts of me being blown into a million pieces by a cannonball to hear me confess what was truly in my heart regarding you," Rhett laughed as he recalled her hate-filled shoutings.

"What did you say that night?" she asked choosing to glaze over the fact that he had correctly guessed what was playing in her mind when he was speaking to her.

"I said I loved you," he responded mildly.

"Really!? Plainly!? Not hidden between two truths or whatever you said earlier?" she inquired, genuinely shocked.

"No ma'am. Plainly as can be, I said I loved you. In fact, I think I said it three times in my little farewell speech. They say 'third time's a charm' but I guess whoever said that has not encountered the likes of you," he informed her, taking pleasure in her evident shock.

"Do you ever wonder what might have happened had I heard you?" Scarlett inquired pensively.

"Yes, and on those occasions I realize that if you had heard me you would have wielded my confession over my head like a whip when you came to ask me for money while I was imprisoned by the Yankees. Which, coincidentally, is another time when I was mooning over you and I damn near confessed again until I saw your lies written plainly on your hands," he continued.

"You were going to confess love to me? I knew it!" she laughed feeling triumphant that her notion had not been incorrect.

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you. Yes, you were correct but when I realized through my hopeful haze your true intentions of visiting me it broke my heart," he grimly replied as though the memory still hurt.

"Did you... did you cry?" she asked out of morbid curiosity. Knowing now what her visit and lies had done to him, she felt on overwhelming sense of shame for having lacerated his heart so many times without knowing the consequence of her actions.

"A grown man never confesses to crying. All I will admit to is a despondent feeling following your visit," he confessed.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," she apologized knowing she was about a decade too late.

"There's nothing to apologize for. You were acting as I know you would in that desperate situation, even if it were to again repeat itself. You may lack honor my love, but you more than make up for it with your sense of survival and courage," he said as he smiled dazzlingly to her.

"Did you ever confess love for me again?" she simpered hoping to know how many more times her ears and mind failed her.

"Several more times but, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to not recollect them now for there are ghosts there that I am not yet ready to face," Rhett replied, his light tone betrayed by the sadness and fright that fluttered through his eyes so quickly Scarlett almost didn't catch them.

"If you wish," Scarlett responded not wanting him to be depressed.

"I thank you most graciously. Now, we should make our way back to the party to make our goodbyes," he announced as he stood and put out his arm, signaling for Scarlett to stand with him.

"Say our goodbyes!? But Rhett, this party goes until dawn! Can't we stay for awhile longer!?" she pleaded. She had looked forward to the party for so long that to leave early seemed like such a shame and it now gave her the perfect avenue to show off her handsome, seemingly returned from certain death, husband.

"No. As luck would have it, you owe me a great deal for my confession of love tonight, my pet. And you know how I insist on getting paid," he reminded her with a devilish grin.

"I do. And how do you suggest I go about paying that back?" she inquired innocently, but knowing full well what direction he was going and she was hoping for.

"You know those caddish ways of mine you so astutely pointed out could only be tolerated by you?" he questioned.

"Yes..." she led, to which he responded with only a wink.

"You're a cad Rhett Butler," she laughed.

"And yet it only seems to add to my charm! Just as you knowing what I meant by that now adds to yours," he teased as Scarlett stood from the bench and he started leading her towards the well lit backyard of the Lacroix estate.

Before they stepped back onto the grass, they dusted the cold sand off of their feet and put their shoes back on. Scarlett ignored her irritation at how constricting her dancing slippers now felt on her feet compared to walking about freely in the sand as she made hurried goodbyes to the proper society people with Rhett steadfastly by her side, never removing his hand from its sitting position on her upper-back. Annoyance with being forced to say goodbye to so many people who were asking far too many questions mounted as her anticipation grew for her evening back at the hotel with Rhett. Her annoyance was only wiped clear out of her mind when she heard the familiar shriek of her best friend.

Anysa was running to her down the steps of the porch towards her location a few booths away. Forgetting propriety, Scarlett ran towards her dearest friend and embraced her as tightly as one would embrace a sister. She could feel nothing but warmth and happiness for her radiating off of Anysa and she thanked God, for what she was sure was the millionth time, for bestowing upon her such a friend. Scarlett often wondered if Anysa was God's way of giving her a second chance at female companionship after she had only realized Melanie's significance when she passed. Perhaps Melanie's hands were also of help in sending Anysa to her; Scarlett was not sure. All she knew was that never again would she take advantage of having such a privilege again.

"Oh I'm so happy for you sweetheart! You look positively radiant now that he is here! I do hope this means I will only be seeing a happy Scarlett from this day forth," Anysa proclaimed tearfully as she took in Scarlett's joy.

"I know you will Anysa! I'm not sure I've ever been so happy," Scarlett cried as she began to feel tears in her eyes upon seeing Anysa's.

"You two are on the verge of a crying jag if I've ever seen one," Rhett's voice drawled from Scarlett's side.

"You shut that constantly running mouth of yours Rhett Butler!" Anysa quipped.

"For what purpose!? You've found the little idiosyncrasies that come out of my mouth more entertaining than most, Anysa. Why stop now!?" he joked.

Scarlett laughed at their little exchange when it dawned on her that she had not introduced them and there was no way for Rhett to know her name.

"Wait a second. How did you..." she started towards Rhett.

"Good show Butler! I couldn't have come up with a better entrance myself!" James beamed as he reached out to shake Rhett's already extended hand.

"That's because you're terrible uncreative Lacroix. You could learn a thing or two from me," Rhett laughed as he did when only in the company of friends.

"Only when it comes to making surprise appearances. I sincerely doubt though that I could take anything else away from you, especially your fashion sense. You dress so drably," James teased.

"Drably!? Never in my life have..." Rhett started to retort.

"Stop!" Scarlett practically shouted, abruptly stopping the joking banter between Rhett and James. "How on earth do you all know each other's names!? I never introduced you."

"Surely you told her!" James exclaimed as he looked mockingly surprised.

"Not yet. You see, she got a tad too excited when she saw me since it's been so long," Rhett said, his voice dripping with inappropriate suggestions.

"Oh yes! Anysa got that way once when I came back from..." James began playing off of the suggestibility of Rhett's previous comment.

"There's no time for that now you two!" Anysa laughingly chided. "Rhett, start explaining yourself!"

"At your service madam!" Rhett replied with an exaggerated bow.

The familiarity the three of them shared was both baffling and intoxicating to Scarlett. They seemed to get along as if they had known each other for years, but there shouldn't have been any way for them to know each other at all.

"As I told you during my story Scarlett, but did not further explain, I have been here for quite awhile. During that time I became close with these fine people," he explained. The way he said "fine people" was so far from the way he used to use it regarding the people of Atlanta. A deep loathing tone was always present when he did so, but it was not present here. When he said it referring to the Lacroixs, it was affectionate, teasing, and sincere all at once.

"Rhett is completely understating our acquaintance!" Anysa balked.

"He most certainly is! You see Scarlett dear, we have been harboring this fugitive," James informed her with a fake grim expression.

"Harboring him? You mean to tell me that..." Scarlett started, shocked by what he could mean.

"Yes my dear, I have been living with the Lacroixs nearly since my arrival in San Francisco," Rhett filled in.

What a revelation! Rhett had not only been in the city for quite a bit of time, but he had been _living_ with her closest friends! Could this night be any more disorienting or filled with confessions!?

"Before Scarlett passes out from an overload of information tonight, I think it best if I take her back to the hotel. Yes, Scarlett I know what hotel you're in and even the room number! Thank you both for tonight though. Shall we do dinner together tomorrow?" Rhett asked as he once again placed his hand on her back.

"Certainly! If you two don't show up though, we promise to take no offense," James joked, causing everyone to laugh. How fun to be friends with people who could be so entertainingly inappropriate!

Scarlett and Rhett said their goodbyes to the Lacroixs, probably the amusing goodbyes she had ever given, and they made their way towards the house to leave without the stuff she had brought over or bought. Rather than gathering her things to take back to the room that night, Rhett insisted that they be sent over the next day. As the couple was about to make their way out of the house, Scarlett glanced into the parlor and saw the figure of a man standing alone in front of the fireplace; a man who occupied a place of only goodwill and admiration in her heart.

"Soren," she said delicately as she left Rhett's side and stepped into the parlor.

"Scarlett," he replied, smiling as he turned around to face her.

Although she had never shown much affection towards Soren Anton physically, no one the wiser would have been able to tell from how warmly he greeted her when she walked up to give him a hug. Knowing that he was a part of the reason Rhett had found her only increased her affections for the aging man who reminded her so much of her deceased father. She was not sure that if she would ever be able to thank him enough for all he had done for her, but she knew she had to at least start somewhere.

"I know this may not make much sense, but thank you for helping my husband find me and for everything you have done like..." Scarlett began tearfully, realizing how he had become slowly and quietly one of the driving forces in her new life.

"It makes more sense to me than you know, but there is no need to thank me, dotter till mig. I just wanted to see you happy. Such a beautiful girl should always be happy," he smiled as he started to wipe her tears away with a handkerchief.

"We must have breakfast soon," Scarlett ordered, knowing how it was his favorite meal of the day.

"All you must do is name the day," he replied cheerfully.

With a final hug and kiss on the cheek, Scarlett left Soren to rejoin Rhett at his side. Rhett did not approach Soren, but they exchanged a knowing smile that seemed to silently send a message to the other. After Soren smilingly gave Rhett a light tilt of the head, Scarlett witnessed Rhett do something so rare and shocking that she could only recall having seen it done a handful of times in her life and never by him. Rhett placed his right hand over his heart and went into a full bow, which he held, before rising. The gesture spoke of intense gratitude, reverence, and respect; nothing like the bows she had often seen him give. He usually gave a quarter bow when acknowledging those he knew, a half bow to inflame already inflamed people, and a full bow when he had just knowingly stomped all over a propriety the receiver held sacred. What Soren had done to put himself in such high standing with Rhett she did not know, but hoped Rhett would one day tell her.

The carriage ride back to the hotel was silent, but filled with promise. Scarlett had initially felt sleepy before Rhett had taken her hand and started running his thumb along her knuckles. It sparked new energy inside her and encouraged by his contact, she placed her hand on his thigh, which was hard as stone. Scarlett loved how hard his body was and was always amazed to think that there was a time when she did not think it possible for a body to be like that. Charles and Frank were so soft of body compared to him that the thought of them was almost revolting to her. Knowing how much she loved it now, Scarlett swore to never miss a moment to admire his form.

Scarlett could not recall a carriage ride ever being so aggravatingly slow. The thought reddened her face, but there was nothing that she wanted more than to be back in her hotel room making love to her husband whom she had missed to the point of distraction. Rhett seemed to share the same sentiments because he shouted to the coachman to go faster as he continued to touch her inappropriately but never kissing her; which was driving her mad. He wouldn't even let her kiss him! It was infuriating and only served to intensify her desire to share a kiss.

Rhett ran his hands up and down her back as they made their way into the hotel and towards her room, not caring if there was anyone to bear witness to their affections. As she was opening the door, he ran the side of his face alongside hers but still refused to kiss her even when she turned her head. When the door opened, he dropped his hands and walked into the room as if nothing happened.

"What are trying to do?" Scarlett inquired slamming the door closed, barely able to contain her desire or her anger towards him not kissing her.

"To what are you referring darling?" he asked innocently as he took off his jacket and threw it on the back of a loveseat.

"You know what I am referring to. You have refused to kiss me!" she cried as she held her position near the door.

"I have done no such thing," Rhett replied mockingly as he removed his bowtie and started undoing the buttons of his shirt.

"Come over here Rhett," she ordered with as much tenderness as she could muster through her irritation.

"Why?" he questioned with feigned curiosity.

"Kiss me, damn you!" she shouted at him across the room after losing patience with his charade.

When she shouted at him she immediately figured out she had played right into his hand. The mocking nature of his expression fell and what left in its wake was a gleam in his eyes that was purely predatory. It took her breath away and caused her insides to clinch excruciatingly. Before she could catch her breath, or ascertain what had happened, he had pinned her body against the wall with his own and kissed her with an ardor that was dizzying. Scarlett began to feel as if she were losing her very grasp of reality and sanity as she sank deeper and deeper into the dark pool of desire inside of her. The only thing anchoring her to the world was his solid frame, which she clung to so tightly she idly wondered if she was hurting him.

Rhett moved away from her mouth and she quickly drew in a gratifying gasp of air through her swollen lips. She felt him extend her right arm and pin it against the wall as a firm hand on her chest kept her in place. As she looked to see what he was doing, he unsheathed his white teeth, which now took on as predatory a look as his eyes had, and he bit the alabaster skin of her wrist and lightly pulled on it. The sensations his teeth and tongue were causing on that small portion of her skin were disorienting. Her rapid heartbeat started to drum louder in her ears and her breathing grew shallow as he continued this pattern up her arm until he got to the fabric of her dress.

She began to curse the fabric in her head for stopping his tantalizing progress when he drew level with her. They stared into each other's lustful eyes before his left hers as he swept them up and down her body. After appraising her, he shoved her into the wall with his pelvis and held her there as he moved his hands to the area beneath her breasts. He shifted his hands so his fingers were facing each other in the area where her cleavage was and he sunk his fingers into the green silk of her gown. When he looked down at her face, she saw something dangerous and challenging flash over him before he sunk his fingers in still deeper and with sudden violence shredded her dress.

"I liked this dress," she said breathlessly as he pounced on the newly freed skin of her chest.

"You should make me pay for ruining it," his husky voice rang out as he started kissing her neck.

Without knowing where the inspiration for her actions came, she dug her nails harshly into his hard chest as she lunged for his neck and sank her teeth into him. He moaned loudly as he leaned into her to absorb what she was going and motivated by his pleasure, she dragged her nails down his chest and abdomen. The feel of his muscles buckling under her fingers thrilled her as much as the sounds of gratification he was emitting. As she was about to continue her progress, he picked her up and carried her near the bed and threw her on it.

"You shouldn't have done that. Now I'm going to want to tear you out of every dress," he warned as he strode towards her, discarding his shirt along the way.

"If you do that I'll soon be out of dresses to wear," she returned, transfixed on his graceful, animal-like approach.

"And you would no longer be able to leave the room," he said resting on top of her.

"What would I do with all of that time?" Scarlett breathed up to him.

"I'm sure I could think of something," Rhett whispered as he sunk his face into her neck and harshly grabbed her leg.


	35. It Happened One Night

_**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated this recently! I got terribly sick and I had schoolwork stacked up to my eyeballs! I promise to try and keep that from occurring again :) And thank you for your kind reviews!**_

**Chapter 35: It Happened One Night  
**

Scarlett continued to hold on to hopes of sleep as she dozed, even though the sun was pouring into the room through the windows. She knew she should still feel tired after the... previous night's affairs with Rhett, but she just felt mounting energy keeping her from deep sleep. When she was about to make the decision to wake, someone made the decision for her.

"AHHHH!" Scarlett cried as the blankets were yanked away from her naked body and determined fingers started tickling the bottoms of her feet.

"RHETT! AHH! STOP STOP STOP!" she pleaded through cries of laughter as she thrashed about in an attempt to evade his knowing hands.

"Say you love me and I'll stop," Rhett laughed as he continued his torturous ways up to her sides.

"I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU!" she called out and as she did, she felt his attack cease. He then quickly leaped on top of her and rolled them both onto their sides through an embrace.

"I so missed waking you up that way," he told her through chuckles.

"You don't plan to make this a routine do you?" Scarlett asked through laughter as she clung to his naked body and settled her face into his chest. The way he smelled was delicious and she could not get enough of it.

"Absolutely not! That would take away the element of surprise. It will be done only when you least expect it," he replied mischievously.

"What if I expect it all the time?" she jokingly challenged.

"Then I will simply have to come up with a more surprising, yet entertaining way of awaking you. But I sincerely doubt you will expect it all the time though. I did that so many mornings while on our honeymoon and yet you never seemed to anticipate it at all," he laughed as he recalled those precious mornings.

"Maybe not then but I am better acquainted with your devilish ways now," Scarlett teased.

"Oh yes? Then tell me my dear, which of my devilish ways is it that you love most?" Rhett asked seductively while running his fingers up her spine, causing her to buckle into him.

"We can't NOW Rhett! It's the morning and there's so much light coming in the room!" she protested. Although she did want to make love to him again, the timing was indecent and she would feel even more exposed if they did so in the sunlight.

"And your point is?" he whispered into her ear as he drew his body level with hers.

Before she could formulate a response, he took her earlobe into his mouth and started to lightly suck on it, making her writhe excitedly underneath him. During the night, they had both discovered that it was a trigger for her and Rhett had done it several times knowing how she would respond. He was clearly not playing fair, but she saw no need to give a damn.

* * *

Lying beside Rhett as he wrapped her hair around his neck, Scarlett started to wonder if they were destined to stay in bed all day and miss dinner with the Lacroix family. Not that she would have minded much; it was more of a passing thought if anything. If they were to miss dinner because of what they had been doing all day, Scarlett wasn't sure if she would find the desire to protest missing it anyway. She was having too much fun with Rhett and her lack of physical contact with him over the years was coming to the surface too strongly to ignore.

"It happened one night during a blockade run into Charleston," Scarlett heard Rhett say slowly, deliberately.

"What happened during a blockade run into Charleston?" she asked feeling as if she had missed something.

"When I fell in love with you," he responded coolly. Scarlett immediately relinquished her pursuit of tracing his chest muscles with her fingers to turn to face him, perching herself on her elbows holding her head in her hands.

"Are you going to tell me the story now?" she inquired excitedly.

"If you wish to hear it," he chuckled at seeing her enthusiasm.

"Do tell!" she encouraged.

"I had been thinking of you ever since our charming encounter in the Wilkes' library. As I had told you then, you were a woman of rare spirit and thoughts of having potentially met my match started to rack my brain. It was infuriating to me how often I thought of you and those gorgeous green eyes of yours and my attempts, however feeble they were, to put you at the back of my mind failed miserably," he told her with an expression that showed her he was laughing inwardly at himself.

"Why did it make you mad how often you thought of me?" Scarlett asked somewhat confused.

"Because a woman had never possessed my thoughts in such a way, nevertheless during such a stressful times. Not to mention the fact that when I met you, you were mooning over Ashley Wilkes and showed no desire towards me. That really hurt me Scarlett. Encountering a woman who didn't want me to sweep her off her feet the second she saw me was such a new experience I didn't quite know how to handle it," he teased.

"You're a dog," she laughed.

"No, I'm a man with ill-concealed appetites," he smiled with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"Have you ever actually _tried_ to conceal it at some point?" she asked already having an idea of what he would say.

"I never saw the need to. It never deterred women from being attracted to me and I actually think it made me even more desirable," he replied humorously.

"Is your life dedicated to attracting women?" she shot at him, not hiding her level of irritation.

"For about 33 years of my life it was, but then I met you sweetheart and then you were the only one I wanted to be attracted to me," he replied with his voice dripping with sarcasm covering up the truth, which Scarlett finally noticed for once.

"Well, if it is any compensation after all these years, I actually did think you were handsome when I met you. But I didn't want to further inflate your already inflated sense of manhood. And of course there's the matter of you having infuriated me," she giggled.

"Thank you for healing such a long standing wound for me, my dear. Now my sense of manhood can now be restored to what it used to be," he smiled to her.

"It better not be! You'll be insufferable," she giggled.

"Most likely and yet you'll love me the whole way through!" he teased. "But anyways, you plagued my thoughts during the first few months of the war when I had started blockade running. Well, there came a night when a particularly uppity Yankee captain refused to allow me and my cargo through into the Charleston docks, no matter how much gold I offered him! He then threatened to have me arrested so I ordered my crew to steer the boat away and just then he called for open fire! When I saw him point his gun directly at me, I swear I saw my whole life flash before my eyes and the image of your face was the last, but most important, image my mind chose to capture. It fueled the already raging fire inside my chest to survive; all so I could see your face one more time. That's when I shot and killed him. Coincidentally, the next run I made was into Atlanta so I could avoid some potentially bitter Yankees at my having killed one of their captains. I swear it must have been fate the brought me there so I could see you in the flesh," he finished to see Scarlett's reaction.

"You fell in love with me when your head was about to be blown off?" Scarlett asked, surprised and amused all at once.

"As I told you last night, I fell in love with you at a most inconvenient moment," Rhett chuckled at his incredibly bad timing.

"You've led a strange life haven't you?" she questioned through rolls of laughter.

"Very strange. Much of it I would like to share with you; which brings me to the matter of making a proposal to you," he left in the air.

"What kind of proposal?" she questioned.

"I believe, as I'm sure you do as well, that there is a lot to be discussed between us; good and bad, but for us to move on it has to come out. Since we are both dreadful at expressing our emotions in a normal capacity, I propose that we get to know each other through a kind of game. You know how we always used to joke about Ella asking 20 questions at a time?" he posed to her.

"Yes..." she answered.

"Why don't we play a game like that to get to know each other? We could play at night since that seems to be our favorite time to talk. We could ask any question of the other with the only rule being that we have to be completely honest. Going off of that though, if one of us feels that the question posed could hold a potentially harmful answer for the other, we can reserve the right to give a warning. Only when pressed further for the answer will it be given. Agreed?" he asked for her to confirm that she understood what he was proposing.

"Agreed. But I want to play now! I don't want to wait until tonight!" she protested with her first question already burning in her mind.

"And let me guess, you wish to ask the first question?" he predicted with a knowing smile.

"Yes!" she responded happily.

"So eager to eat from the tree of knowledge aren't you, my dear? Well, ask away," he allowed.

"Why were you at the barbecue at Twelve Oaks?" she asked eagerly. Due to him not being received, she had always wondered why he would risk getting thrown out of the barbecue in front of the whole county. And why would he come to it anyway?

"Ah! So you wish to start at the beginning!? Very well. I was there because a certain Mr. Kennedy, whom I never would have guessed would be a husband of yours, invited me to go," he informed her.

"Why on earth would he invite you!? Surely he knew you weren't received!" she replied wondering if old Frank could really be so ridiculous.

"I suppose I should reword that. I more or less coerced him into a corner whose only way out was to invite me for him to keep his gentlemanly nature," he laughed.

"How did you do that? And why were you even with him?" she questioned.

"I was with him because I was buying out his stores of cotton. I already knew the war was going to happen and that eventually the price of cotton would go sky high, so I was buying him out in order to transport it all out of the country to store until I could get whatever price I asked for it. When we neared the end of our business, I noticed he started to get a little antsy and when I asked why, he replied that he had a barbecue to attend in the county and I secured an invite simply asking if he'd mind if I joined him. Since I was bored and had nothing else to do, I figured I might as well disturb the peace of the county gentlemen and see how riled up I could get them. It was actually much easier than I anticipated!" he offered her with a face of mock shock.

"Yes, I heard your little speech. I'm surprised they didn't kill you," she chided.

"They should have. I made a mockery of everything they stood for and yet I walked away without one offer for a duel! How disappointing. I figure I should have at least gotten three takers!" he responded with feigned disappointment.

"If I was a man I would have challenged you," she said jokingly.

"HA! You're the last person I would ever agree to enter a duel with! You would pretend to walk your paces with me and before the last step you would turn around and shoot me through the back of the head. First rule to dueling, my love: never enter a duel with someone as dishonorable as yourself. Too many wild cards to anticipate," Rhett chuckled as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Rhett, how many duels have you participated in?" she asked not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

"Not so fast. I'll answer your question after you answer mine. What's your first memory?" he inquired.

Scarlett flipped through pages of memories in order to find the earliest. She had never really sat down before and attempted to figure out what her earliest recollection was, but she finally found it; assuming that she was correct in her assumption. "I was with my Pa. I can remember a horse nearby as he held me in the water. I think he was trying to teach me how to swim. Oh Lord how I used to love swimming in that river!"

Rhett looked at her curiously, almost as if he were truly seeing her for the first time, before he smiled. "You were a water baby?"

"Yes! I loved the water! Pa insisted all of us girls learn how to swim even though it wasn't a very lady like skill. I'm sure Mammy protested but we learned anyhow, or at least I did. Some of my favorite memories with my Pa are from when we went to the river to swim," she reminisced.

"I bet I'm a better swimmer than you," Rhett challenged.

"Not even in your wildest dreams Rhett Butler," Scarlett laughed.

"I don't know, Scarlett. My dreams can get pretty wild," he winked.

"Oh hush!" she scolded. "Now answer my question. How many duels have you been in?"

When Scarlett once again posed the question, Rhett tilted his head and squinted; as if he was trying to see the number in front of him. It almost disturbed Scarlett that he actually had to mentally tally the number of men he had dueled with.

"Three," he finally spit out.

"Three!?" she practically shrieked.

"Yes, three. You know of the one in Charleston when I refused to marry that fool girl. Another was in New Orleans after a fellow gambler accused me of cheating when I won $300 off of him. And then there was the one in New York during a blockade run when I was accused selling defective handguns. To prove him wrong, I killed him with one of my supposedly defective weapons," Rhett detailed.

"Great balls of fire! Do you enjoy killing people!?" Scarlett cried as she jumped off the bed and away from him to put on her chemise. She had always known Rhett was a murderer, but it upset her that there were so many victims, not to mention the ones he killed outside of a duel, and that he almost seemed to look back on such events fondly.

"I take no pleasure in taking lives, Scarlett. I did what I felt I had to do to defend myself and my pride. And keep in mind that I did most of my killing when I was young," he replied sitting up on the bed to better observe Scarlett's retreat from him.

"So you were still young when you killed the Yankee captain in a bar and that black man which wound you up in jail?" she swiftly retorted.

"I was in my thirties and that's plenty young to me. I don't understand why you are being so critical with me; I told you I didn't enjoy killing those men. Not to mention you are a murderer, same as me," he replied as he put on a lounging robe and started to approach her.

"NO! Not same as you! I killed that Yankee because he was going to... you know!" she shouted at him as she maintained distance from him.

"I seem to recall you telling me that you enjoyed killing him though. I never enjoyed killing those men. That almost makes your murder worse than mine," Rhett threw at her as he leaned casually against the bedpost.

"How dare you! I may have murdered him but you are a murderer MANY times over! Tell me Rhett, how many people have you killed?" Scarlett screamed at him from across the room, fighting temptation to throw a nearby vase.

"13 in all, excluding those whom I might have killed during the war," he responded with growing tenseness. His growing anxiety started to fill the room but Scarlett ignored it and he refused to address it, not wanting to back down from their argument.

"And I'm guessing all 13 of them _deserved_ to die in your warped mind?" she spat at him.

If the air between them had been crackling with Rhett's anxiety and Scarlett's anger, it was now frozen. She had unknowingly stepped over some line and when she did so, she knew it. His face fell, not into his mask, but into a look of shock, horror, and guilt. Scarlett had seemingly succeeded in making him see how wrong he was for his murderous past, but she failed to understand why her last comment had done the trick. It didn't seem to be any worse than her previous comments, but it obviously was somehow.

Rhett stood there staring at her, frozen in place and the room grew cold as an ocean breeze. Neither knew what to say, but before one of them could think of something, Rhett started to quickly get dressed. He can't run away now! Not when I don't know what upset him! She thought.

"What did..." she started.

"Not a word out of you," he bit before she could finish as he finished tying his shoes. His tone was so icy that she was surprised she didn't freeze to death from it. It made her skin crawl.

"We need to..." she trailed off when she clearly saw he would ignore her. Wasn't he the one who said that they needed open honesty? Him leaving now would be him running away from her, truth in hand, never to be exposed. When she saw him striding to the door, she threw her body in front of it to keep him from leaving.

"Move," he said quietly, too quietly.

"No! We need to talk!" she bellowed at him as she tried to make eye contact which he refused to reciprocate.

"I think we have done enough talking for one day. Now move or you'll regret it," Rhett seethed through clinched teeth.

"Or what!? You'll make me number 14!?" Scarlett snidely replied.

At this last snide remark, Rhett finally made eye contact with her and she suddenly wished he hadn't. The hurt and murderous fury raging inside them terrified her. She then observed that his body was shaking slightly, his arms were flexed, and his hands were fisted so tightly by his sides that his knuckles were white. The energy radiating off of him was dangerous and she knew that she needed to let him go; for her safety as much as his own.

When she stepped aside, Rhett threw the door open and marched out, slamming the door behind him. She stood dumbfounded in place for minutes afterwards, wondering what exactly she had said to send him over the edge. They hadn't even been together for a whole day yet and there they were, arguing again. Thinking that Rhett would once again leave her, Scarlett began to cry furiously on the bed. Never had she meant to say something hurtful and she felt genuinely sorry for having hurt him in a deep way; although how she did, she did not know.

Perhaps she should have considered that Rhett had counted their unborn child and Bonnie Blue amongst the ranks of those he had killed.


End file.
